Daniel Etherington

Well, Britain has just experienced its second horrendous non-summer in a row. Last year it rained pretty much non-stop for most of July and August, and this year we’ve had the “most overcast August since records began”. Great.

I remember seeing bizarre futuristic mock-ups in a newspaper a few years ago of what Britain would look like with the effects of global warming – palm trees alongside new bodies of water in Merseyside or somesuch nonsense. Er, guys, it looks like climate change actually means the usually fickle British weather is going to disintegrate further into blurred seasons and a general morass of grey, warm weather. Last winter, I wore my winter coat probably three times, as it was so mild. The pond in my local park froze for about one week in December, but that was about it for zero-ish temperatures.

I like seasonality. I like the promise of some sun in the summer and some cold crispiness in the winter. Well tough, that seems to be getting less and less reliable now. An entire summer of rain and grey skies.Sheesh.

I used to joke Britain’s cruddy weather was one reason we were, in days of yore, such great explorers and imperialists, thrusting ever outwards to warmer climes. Now it just feels like we’re going to be stuck with a mega case of SAD, except it’ll be all year round. Summer sun is supposed to lift you. Well not this year. Mega-SAD and a recession. Good times.

Maybe we’ll get some hot sunny weather in December that’ll check the SAD…