A 200 per cent spike in rainfall last September led to 61 internally flooded properties in Hertfordshire, a report revealed.

Hitchin was the worst affected district during the September rains, with 35 properties reported with internal flooding, and a further 52 with external floods. The next worst affected borough was St Albans, with seven internally flooded homes and 16 externally flooded properties.

The figures were seen by the county council's environment cabinet panel on Friday, March 7, as it explored the county's 'flooding, responses and challenges' report.

The report cited a number of mitigating measures carried out by the local authority to reduce flooding, but it highlighted that there are difficulties implementing them county-wide.

It stated: "Landowners play an important role in influencing flood risk. However, the challenge remains that industry partners have no enforcement powers over landowners.

"Therefore, there is no requirement for landowners to implement mitigation measures to reduce surface water flow coming off their land as long as it follows the natural topography.

"This can impact on not only properties but the surface water, foul and highway drainage as they have not been designed to cope with water from these sources."

The report also highlighted the disturbing pattern of changing weather over the past five years.

It revealed: "Since 2020 Hertfordshire has experienced some of the most severe weather on record, of which caused flooding across the County. In 2020 the UK saw the fifth wettest winter on record, and in 2021 the UK experienced the highest May rainfall on record, as well as the first ever Amber extreme heat warning.

"The year 2023 had the most active start to the storm season since naming storms began in 2015, with 2024 seeing 12 named storms, getting to the letter 'L' for only the second time in history.

"In September 2024 Hertfordshire was impacted by a severe and persistent rainfall event. The rainfall proceeded two yellow weather warning. The County had 61 reports of internal flooding and 93 reports of external flooding.

"The flooding was spread across the west side of the County with Hitchin, St Albans and Stevenage being the most severely affected. Hertfordshire was within the highest impacted area, with 200 per cent more rainfall than the long-term average."