WEATHER experts are hoping this year will not be as rainy as last year, when Oxford experienced the wettest nine months on record.

The first three months of rainfall this year have all been above average but not as extreme as last year, according to Oxford’s Radcliffe Meteorological Station.

A total of 64mm fell in January, 11.3mm more than expected, 47.4mm fell in February, 6.2mm above average, and 77.4mm in March, a massive 33.3mm above average – putting it in the top 20 wettest Marches since records began in 1767.

A total of 898.7mm of rain fell from April to December last year – the highest amount for nearly 250 years. The average for that period of the year is 483.4mm.

Phd student Ian Ashpole, 26, who takes the measurements, said: “In terms of rainfall it is hard to make any predictions but if April to December last year was the wet period, it remains to be seen if this April to December will be. April to December 2012 really was dramatically extreme.

“Essentially, this was because when it rained it poured. We didn’t have that many more days of rain than usual.”