Everyone seems to be talking about the weather as never before.
After 2013 saw the coldest spring in the UK since 1891 and December 2013 was the stormiest since records began in 1869, 2014 opened with the wettest January in southern UK since 1988, and the fifth wettest ever.
The prolonged flooding in the Somerset levels is a visible symbol of the disruption to many peoples’ lives, and has exposed politicians to criticism concerning flood defences. Some have wondered whether the widespread flooding is God’s judgment on the UK (see ‘the commentary’ on page 5).
