Exploding manhole covers could be down to 'wettest year on record'

With the summer we are having you might be forgiven for forgetting it was the wettest winter on record.

An increase in the number of reports of exploding manhole covers could be the result of faulty electrical cables damaged by the wettest winter on record.

There have been reports of 64 exploding or burning manholes so far this year, compared to 51 for the whole of 2013, according to figures released by the Health and Safety Executive and seen by the Sunday Telegraph.

In 2011 and 2012, there were nine and 31 reports respectively.

Experts believe the surge in incidents could be due to record-breaking amounts of rainfall recorded between December last year and February - the wettest winter since national records began, according to the Met Office - which could have seeped in to damaged underground power lines.
But such incidents could also be caused by other kinds of electrical faults and gas leaks.