Dundee records one of the wettest starts to the year in more than a century

Dundee has experienced an exceptionally wet start to 2026, with new figures showing January was one of the rainiest on record for the local area.

The Met Office have shared exclusive data with Dundee Culture which helps put the city’s recent run of gloomy, rain-soaked weather into clear historical context.

Figures show that 116.0 mm of rain fell during January alone. This makes it the fifth wettest January recorded for the local area since records began in 1922, placing it firmly among the wettest winter months seen in more than a century.

To underline how unusual that is, the wettest January on record saw 167.2 mm of rainfall in 1993, followed by 157.6 mm in 2016. While January 2026 did not break the all-time record, it still ranks extremely high when compared with previous decades.

The wet conditions continued into February. By 7 February, a combined total of 148.6 mm of rain had already fallen across January and early February in the local area. The wettest January and February combined on record remains 1977, when 218.0 mm was recorded.

Although the figures relate to the wider local area, they are widely used as a reliable indicator of weather conditions affecting Dundee. Long-running records like these allow today’s weather to be compared directly with what previous generations in the city experienced.

For Dundonians, the statistics confirm what many have already felt underfoot and under umbrellas. This winter’s persistent rain is not just a short spell of bad weather but a notable event in the context of more than 100 years of local records.

While it may not be a record-breaking year, January 2026 will stand out as one of the wettest starts to a year Dundee has seen, adding another remarkable chapter to the city’s weather history.