For most of the country St Swithin’s day (July 15) this year was wet. Rain fell across just about the whole of Scotland, Nothern Ireland, Wales and most of England. The only region to stay dry was a tiny eastern sliver of Lincolnshire and a few small areas in East Anglia and Kent.
The ancient weather lore makes a bold claim:
St Swithin’s day, if thou dost rain, for forty days it will remain.
In reality, after July 15 the medieval rhyme performed well for the following seven days, when showers and longer periods of rain were widespread but went a little awry in the following week when rain became less abundant and widespread and many areas were also bathed in warm sunshine.