Tough going for businesses as wind and rain dampen lockdown reopening

Heavy rain and strong winds have heaped more misery on us in the West Midlands, Shropshire and Staffordshire just at a time when we should be enjoying our greater freedom. There is a hint of drier conditions over the next couple of weeks, but don’t expect temperatures to rise to anything special.

It has been a frustrating time for outdoor attractions that need dry weather to thrive. Wolverhampton Adventure Golf, based in Perton, reopened on March 29 along with other outdoor sports venues. It has since had to put up with a mixed bag of weather.

Director Mark Allen said: “It hasn’t really affected us too much – people have just wanted to get out of the house, really, despite the rain and golf is great for exercise. We’ve had some cancellations, but not many – people are looking ahead and are happy to go out whatever weather.

“We’re waiting for the good weather to come. We’ve had some weeks of weird weather and we’re looking forward to people sitting outside and having a drink in the sun. It’s better for golf when the weather is good.”

May has been one of the wettest for years – and comes after an April that was one of the driest on record.

The rain has brought relief to farmers who were fearing for their crops as soil started to crack after days with no rain last month. But even they now want the wet stuff to stop.

Chris Potter, chairman of Shropshire Young Farmers, helps run the family Oak Tree Farm at Frodesley near Dorrington and Shropshire Shearing. He said: “The cold and dry April has meant that it has been really hard going for farmers. Most are about three weeks or a month behind on silage and crop growing.

“Luckily we had a good year last year and farmers still have feed left for their livestock. But this rain was really badly needed by everyone. The grass is growing now and friends who are in arable farming say that their crops are now doing ok.

“The trouble is we have almost had too much rain now – everyone needs it to dry up a big and arable farmers say they want some sun now.

Chris, 27, said the sheep industry was also now behind because of the rain, adding: “Sheep have to be dry to be able to sheer them. We would usually have shorn 6,000 sheep by now, we are somewhere between 2-3,000.”

See the Met Office's forecast for the weekend here:

Met Office forecasters are predicting better weather from Tuesday, but say talk of a June heatwave was “premature”.

Holiday resorts that rely on custom from people in the West Midlands hope that better weather will come in time for the May half term.

In the Victorian resort of Clevedon, close to Weston-super-Mare on the North Somerset coast, businesses say they have healthy bookings from people who are looking to travel down from the Midlands.

While it may not be bucket and spade weather for families, hardy swimmers have continued their weekly swim in the town’s Marine Lake, taking a dip yesterday despite cool temperatures, torrential rain and 40mph gusts.