If you’re on your summer holidays or looking forward to breaking up from school soon, you’re probably hoping for a bit of sun and let’s face it, we haven’t seen much of it recently but what if it rained non-stop for the next 40 days?

According to folklore, if it rains on St Swithin’s Day, it will rain for the next 40 days: but who was St Swithin and how did this legend come about?

Swithin was born around the year 800. He became Bishop of Winchester. Unlike some religious figures, he asked not to be buried within Winchester Cathedral, but outside in a simple tomb “where the sweet rain of heaven may fall upon my grave”. The legend says after his remains were moved inside there was a great storm and it rained for many weeks after.

Weather experts say that since records began in 1861, there has never been a record of 40 dry or 40 wet days in a row following St Swithin’s Day. So while we might not like 40 days of rain and 40 days of sun sounds fun, neither is likely to happen!

HOWEVER, today is the perfect day to remember the impact that climate change is having on weather around the world – catastrophic floods, mudslides, hurricanes, droughts and tsunamis and our moral duty as Christians to set a positive example in addressing the present ecological crisis.

‘Almighty God, we pray for the world we live in. Open our eyes to fully recognise the goodness of all creation and help us to do what we can to restore and care for the wonderful gift that we have been given. Amen’