Something about Swithun?

Image by neilalderney123 via Flickr

Saint Swithun's Day [or Swithin] is July 15th (along with St. Bonaventure). He was Bishop of Winchester in the 9th century. The proverb (or is it a superstition) goes that the weather on his feast day will continue for 40 days, and sure enough it was raining on Thursday in Morecambe and has continued to do so ever since. Not sure I'm up for another 35 days of this, but at least my broad beans are growing well.

There are various theories about how the saying came about - from the weather when his remains were reinterred to a storm on July 15 in the 14th century. In fact, there is some scientific evidence to suggest that the jet-stream settles into a pattern which is steady through late July and August, so the weather mid-July may well indicate what is to come.

Wonder what happens in a leap-year? Anyway, it's very wet and shows no sign of letting up.

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