Heavy rainfall last week caused a spike in what is typically Bermuda’s wettest month of the year, the Bermuda Weather Service said.

The BWS website showed that last Wednesday there was 2.16 inches of rainfall — the most seen this month, with the second-most amount of rainfall being only 0.88 inches two days later.

Michelle Pitcher, the director of the service, said that yesterday morning 0.17 inches of rain fell, with more showers expected this week.

She added that the amount of rainfall Bermuda has had this month — 3.92 inches — was normal for the island around this time.

Ms Pitcher explained: “October is normally our wettest month with just over six inches of rainfall.

“We are a bit over half of that for October to date, and since we are about halfway through the month as well so far, judging by the accumulation alone, it is a close to normal amount of precipitation.”

She added: “While last week's heavy rainfall over the island significantly contributed to the month's total, I can't speak to it being a trend or not.

“We must remember that Bermuda is a relatively small area in the ocean and we often see heavier rain and showers pass near to or through our marine area and not always over the island.”

Torrential rain last Wednesday led to severe flooding across the island, including in Southampton and Pembroke.

Criticism was aimed at the island’s drainage infrastructure and the public works ministry said later that its Department of Works and Engineering made efforts to mitigate the impact of heavy rain.

It said that on Thursday, “crews made progress in clearing roads and debris to facilitate the drainage of floodwaters and repair potholes damaged” by the weather.

Bermuda has had 3.38 inches of rain between October 7 and 14.

There has been 51.82 inches of rainfall over the island since the start of this year — about six inches more than the yearly average, 45.03 inches, by this time of year.