CHESHIRE was the wettest county in England this summer, recording almost twice the average rainfall for the season.

This summer, during the three months from June to August, was one of the wettest of the past century for the UK, according to figures from the Met Office. And Cheshire recorded the most rainfall in England.

June to August this year were the UK's 12th hottest summer on record, with periods of sweltering heat including a new high for the country of 38.7C at Cambridge University Botanic Garden on July 25.

But while hot summers tend to be drier than average, for the UK as a whole, summer 2019 was the seventh wettest in records that go back to 1910.

Scotland had its second wettest summer on record, only surpassed by 1985, the figures from the Met Office show.

In England, Cheshire, Northumberland and Derbyshire had the wettest summer conditions.

Compared with the average for 1981 to 2010, Cheshire had 179 per cent of its average rainfall for the season, while Northumberland had 174 per cent.

Derbyshire, where residents had to be evacuated from Whaley Bridge over fears a dam could collapse following heavy rain, had 173 per cent of the average.

Tim Legg, of the Met Office's National Climate Information Centre, said: "Overall summer 2019 was the 12th warmest on record since 1910 across the UK, but unusually this summer was also relatively wet.

"Previous hot summers have been largely dry but this summer was seventh wettest overall in the UK in a series dating back to 1910."

"The picture for each of the three months was different depending on where you were in the UK.

"Southern England and Wales endured the heaviest rainfall in June, whereas Scotland and northernmost parts of England saw the heaviest rainfall in August."