Anyone know where to find better info than 2.82 inches for Southampton,
31 Oct 1953 , reported in the local press an event something like the
recent Coverack event

Hardly, Coverack was certainly 8" (Radar estimates 200mm, 170mm measured - admittedly based on buckets. Here's a calculation https://coverack.org.uk/Info17/Rainf...hallenge .pdf

I've recorded 4" in 2 hours.


Graham
Penzance