RECORDS look set to tumble in the Tavistock area, after 'exceptional' rain in just the first few days of September.

According to local weather recorders, rainfall figures for the town are almost 50% higher than the Devon average so far this month — and proving a disaster for arable farmers.

David Thomas, who lives in Tavistock, records daily weather statistics and said if September continued as it had so far, he was sure records would be broken.

The Met Office in Exeter does not have specific records for West Devon, but has an average of 70.7mm over the whole of Devon for the first five days of September.

However, David Thomas said in Tavistock he had recorded 105mm for the same period, with 131mm up to 8am on Tuesday.

The Met Office says the higher rainfall was explained by the fact that Tavistock is on the Western edge of Dartmoor.

Mr Thomas said: 'It has been exceptional.

'We have had about four days without any, so the rain is concentrated in a few days each time. Some days have had one inch, but last Thursday we had two and a quarter inches.'

August had also been exceptional, with a total of 228mm, or nine inches. July was even wetter, with 248mm, even though there were 17 days when it was almost completely dry. The rain fell mainly in the first and last weeks of the month.

To add to the misery of local residents, farmers and tourists, there was only one day in August when the temperature rose above 21 degrees, so it has been cool as well as wet.

In Bere Ferrers, Alan Searle produced figures of 214mm for this August, two and a half times times last August's 88mm and nearly six times as much as the 38mm the previous year.

'It has been more than some of the winter months. January rainfall was 142mm,' he said.

The weather has proved disastrous for arable farmers in the area.

Callington agricultural contractor Mark Pethick, who covers East Cornwall and West Devon areas, described the situation as 'an absolute disaster'.

'I've never known anything like it. The harvest is still not complete; we can't string any days together,' he said.

'Every day it rains, keeping the crops damp. What crops are still in the fields are sprouting, making them worthless. We have work to do we can't get on with and our own crops to harvest.'

Mr Pethick said this year had been worse than last year, as last year the weather had 'come right for the grain and maize harvest', but this year the rain had come later.

'We have only had two or three days dry in the last six weeks,' he said.

He described the mood of local farmers as 'absolute depression' over the situation.

'This is the most costly harvest I have ever known,' he said.