Goodbye sun, hello 40 days of rain

The UK is set to be cursed by 40 days of rain after showers were predicted to blight St Swithin's day today.

According to folklore, if it rains on July 15 - St Swithin's day - then showers will fall on every subsequent day for more than a month.

And forecasters predicted that many parts of the UK, including Shropshire, would be deluged with showers and heavy rain today.

On top of the showers, unseasonably strong winds are set to blow away any memories of the recent hot spell.

Michael Dukes, forecaster with MeteoGroup, said: "It's going to be unseasonably windy, garden furniture is going to be blowing around all over the place. The winds will blow in showers and the occasional thunder storm and it will be wetter the further north you go."

Temperatures were expected to reach a high of 19C (66.2F) in Shropshire today with rain due this evening. There will be showers tomorrow with highs again of 19C (66.2F).

Saturday looks cloudy with light rain with temperatures reaching 18C, (64.4F) but Sunday and Monday looks set to be a washout. Temperatures should reach 20C (68F) on Sunday and 21C (69.8) on Monday. St Swithin was a ninth century Saxon bishop.