The parts of the UK that usually receive the most rain during autumn have been revealed, as the country could be heading into a much wetter end to the year.
The Met Office has warned that the El Niño developing in the Pacific may be the strongest for more than a century. Its effects are expected to be felt around the world, and in the UK, forecasters are seeing signs of increased rainfall and stormier weather around November.
This follows an exceptionally hot and dry summer that left much of England and all of Wales in drought. While a wetter autumn would help replenish water supplies, sudden or sustained rainfall after months of dry weather may also create problems for homeowners.
Against this backdrop, leak detection specialists ADI Leak Detection analysed average September – November rainfall across 305 UK cities and large towns, using data from 2020–2025.
The 15 wettest UK places during autumn
| Rank | Place | Country | Region | Average Sep–Nov Rainfall (mm) |
| 1 | Neath | Wales | Wales | 616.6 |
| 2 | Merthyr Tydfil | Wales | Wales | 568.4 |
| 3 | Kendal | England | North West | 553.4 |
| 4 | Rhondda | Wales | Wales | 550.0 |
| 5 | Bridgend | Wales | Wales | 534.7 |
| 6 | Llanelli | Wales | Wales | 528.0 |
| 7 | Swansea | Wales | Wales | 526.4 |
| 8 | Barrow-in-Furness | England | North West | 522.1 |
| 9 | Irvine | Scotland | Scotland | 519.3 |
| 10 | Lancaster | England | North West | 514.4 |
| 11 | Greenock | Scotland | Scotland | 503.2 |
| 12 | Kilmarnock | Scotland | Scotland | 474.4 |
| 13 | Ebbw Vale | Wales | Wales | 472.0 |
| 14 | Morecambe | England | North West | 470.5 |
| 15 | Pontypool | Wales | Wales | 451.6 |
There is a clear westward pattern to the results, but the small gaps between some locations are important. Places such as Kendal and Rhondda, or Bridgend, Llanelli, and Swansea, have very similar averages and should not be treated as having dramatically different autumn conditions simply because they sit a few positions apart.
The 10 driest UK places during autumn
| Rank | Place | Country | Region | Average September–November Rainfall (mm) |
| 1 | Clacton-on-Sea | England | East of England | 199.6 |
| 2 | Cambridge | England | East of England | 199.9 |
| 3 | Ipswich | England | East of England | 200.0 |
| 4 | Colchester | England | East of England | 204.9 |
| 5 | Bury St Edmunds | England | East of England | 206.5 |
| =6 | Canvey Island | England | East of England | 209.3 |
| =6 | Ely | England | East of England | 209.3 |
| 7 | Letchworth Garden City | England | East of England | 213.2 |
| 8 | Chelmsford | England | East of England | 213.7 |
| 9 | Basildon | England | East of England | 214.7 |
| 10 | Sittingbourne | England | South East | 215.4 |
Only 15.8mm separates the whole group. The contrast with Neath is much larger: the Welsh town receives 417mm more rain during an average autumn, or just over three times the total recorded in Clacton-on-Sea.
Peter Jones, Director at ADI Leak Detection, said: “Going from such a dry summer into a potentially wet and stormy autumn is something homeowners should take seriously. It does not mean every forecast downpour will cause a problem, but it is much better to find a loose roof tile or blocked drain now than during several hours of heavy rain.”
“The El Niño reports are especially relevant because the signal for the UK appears to be stronger around November. That gives people some time to prepare. Gutters will also begin filling with leaves during the same period, so a drainage system which coped perfectly well in summer may struggle once rain becomes heavier and more frequent.”
“After a prolonged dry spell, the ground may be hard and less able to absorb a sudden volume of water. Rain can then run towards the house, collect near external walls or overwhelm a drain surprisingly quickly. Check that gullies are clear and that downpipes are actually carrying water away rather than spilling it beside the property.”
“I would also look around windows, doors, and visible roof areas for small gaps, worn seals or damage. You do not need to climb onto the roof yourself. A visual check from the ground can still pick up a slipped tile, and anything higher up should be left to somebody with the right equipment.”
“Indoors, the early signs are not always a dramatic stream of water. It may be a faint damp mark, paint beginning to bubble, a musty smell in one room or a patch which returns after being cleaned. If it appears after rain, make a note of the weather and take a photo. That timing can help narrow down where the water is entering.”
“Even the places at the dry end of this table still average around 200mm over autumn. More importantly, an average says nothing about how quickly that rain falls. One intense storm can expose a weakness in any home, so residents in Clacton, Cambridge or Ipswich should not assume the El Niño warning only matters to traditionally wetter parts of Wales, Scotland or North West England.”