Blaise Tapp: Rain, rain and yet more rain - it just never seems to end
There was a time when I would love nothing more than going out for a walk in the rain - call it a folly of youth, call it a classic act of contrarianism, I had a penchant for getting absolutely drenched.
A bit like staying out all night, those days are long since behind me and in 2026, I won’t leave the house without being appropriately dressed and having consulted a hyper local weather forecast. Although, back then, I didn’t have the patience to wait for the likes of John Kettley or Wincey Willis to cheerfully wave their hands over a map of the British Isles.
Over the past six weeks I have had more than money’s worth out of my bargain purchase new anorak and have checked the weather app on my phone more times than I care to remember, as, you don’t need me to tell you, it’s been rather wet outside.
In fact, the country has seen rainfall every day of this year so far and, as I write, the nation is currently subject to roughly 100 flood warnings and, if you are a Sunday league footballer or someone who, inexplicably in my view, enjoys a round of golf, then it’s likely you’ve been kicking your heels due to waterlogged playing surfaces.
The words Biblical or torrential have both been justifiably applied to the conditions outside of our front doors and there’s no sign of it relenting any time soon. Depending on who you listen to, the miserable scenes in our streets and valleys are either the latest compelling evidence of climate change or just good old British weather. After all, we are still in the grip of winter.
All I know is that I have never known weather like it and the dog we are currently temporarily looking after hides under the kitchen table whenever the lead and waterproof jacket come out.
On the bright side our reservoirs will be filling up nicely although I nearly choked on my frothy coffee the other day when I heard the news that one of our heroic water companies decided it was time to lift its long standing hosepipe ban.
Our rivers are swollen, roads partially flooded and welly-wearing news reporters are being made to film updates from large puddles while holding brollies. Personally speaking, I’m happy for clever folk with letters after their name to explain why it seems to be wetter now than at any point in my lifetime, but I am more than content to stop indoors these days.