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Paul Hudson from BBC Look North was interviewed on News 24 at 5pm. He
said an Environment agency site near Helmsley (Hawnby?) recorded 70 mm
in 3 hours, with 60mm of that falling in just 1 hour.

Half an hour. These figures were quoted this morning in the
"Yorkshire flooding" thread, which may be above, depending
on your newsreader and your news provider. Naturally, it is highly
unlikely that Hawnby was close to the point of maximum rainfall.

He said that the
intensity of the rain was of the same order of magnitude as at
Boscastle, not lasting as long though. He said that although flash
floods have always happened, the intensity and regularity over the last
few years seems to be a departure from normal and that it may be down
to climate change. Very competent account, best 'expert' interview I've
seen on the floods so far.

I have to say I was surprised and disappointed to hear him say
this. I doubt he had anything other than anecdotal evidence to
suggest this. Reading through the archives of heavy localised
summer rainfall events indicates nothing of the sort. We discussed
this sort of "communal forgetfulness" last year at the time of the
Boscastle event.

Philip Eden