A warning has been issued that Norfolk could see flooding earlier than normal this year, with people urged to think how to protect their homes from rising waters.
Recent years have seen hundreds of homes affected by flooding over the winter months - and leaders fear properties could be at risk sooner than in previous years.
The three months to June saw abnormally high levels of rainfall, on top of the previous six months’ worth of exceptional rain.
Experts said that means Norfolk is at risk of flooding faster and earlier than in previous years.
Groundwater levels remain high, while Environment Agency readings show that East Anglian river flows in June were up to 172pc the long term average, with water trapped in the system.
Henry Cator, chair of the Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance, said: "For many people in Norfolk the memory of last winter’s floods is still fresh, but because of the wet spring and summer we've experienced we have no time to relax.
"There’s a real chance of flooding earlier than usual this year, which means homeowners can’t afford to wait until the autumn to prepare: we all need to start thinking, planning and acting now to keep our properties safe and dry this winter."
The alliance warns that high groundwater levels mean there is less capacity for water to be soaked into the ground.
It says that makes it particularly important that guttering, ditches and drains are free of blockages to stop water building up around homes.
Installing water butts can also avoid water pooling on the ground, while people are urged to consider flood resilience products, such as emergency barriers, self-expanding sandbags, non-return valves for household drainage pipes and waterproof front doors.
James Bensly, Norfolk County Council's cabinet member for environment, said: "Without the normal sunshine and heat, water that normally evaporates or soaks away is still there, leaving less space in which fresh, autumn rainfall can drain away.
"If we want to protect homes and businesses from flooding this winter, we all need to start planning now."
Long Stratton, Attleborough and Besthorpe are among the areas of Norfolk badly hit by floods over the past five years.
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