THE RAIN in Spain may fall mainly on the plain, but did you know the rain on Saturn falls mainly from its rings.

No I haven’t lost the plot, rather I’ve found out that if we ever travel to the ringed planet then it’s worth packing an umbrella.

And maybe some wellies.

It turns out that scientists peering at the fifth planet from the sun have spotted drops of rain dripping from the rings to the planet 120,000 miles below ... and the rain is electrically charged.

Yes you heard that right.

Don’t have a metal point on your brolly or you could end up doing that cartoon electric shock thing where we can see your bones.

Plus Saturn is a gas giant and the surface of the planet is a maelstrom of toxic gas and liquids.

So you will need those wellies. And maybe a spare pair when the first lot are corroded by something you’ve stepped in.

“Excuse me darling, I’ve stood in some Saturn.”

“Well don’t tread it in the house. Remember the hall carpet? The last time you brought a bit of Saturn in the carpet, floor and most of the foundations disappeared in an acidic puddle.”

“No problems, I’ll drag my foot along the grass ... darling, the grass is on fire.”

You’ll probably need a jacket too. Saturn tends to get a bit chilly. Being that bit further from the sun means you’ll need to pop your gloves on when venturing out as the temperature touches about -200c.

All in all, it’s not a particularly nice place to visit. A bit like Middlesbrough. But in space.

The other thing with Saturn is that a day only lasts 10 hours and 39 minutes. I’d have to go part time otherwise if you worked nine to five you’d be struggling with two-and-a-half hours sleep.

Not so bad you think ... I fancy shortening my working hours.

But you know what bosses are like – you’d probably still only get five weeks holiday a year.

Trouble is a year on Earth lasts, well, a year. A year on Saturn lasts nearly 30 years.

Or a week off every six Earth years.

Do you think they get a lot of Bank Holidays?

As well as electric rain, there’s plenty of other troubling weather conditions on the planet too.

“And now the weather ... western Saturn residents can expect an ammonia blizzard (this happened in 2004) to sweep in from the east while those on the other side of the planet should expect a storm lasting three years.

“Winds are expected to pick up with top speeds of 1,000mph rattling slates and felling saplings and walkers are warned to watch out for ‘mega-lightning’ 1,000 times more powerful than those strikes back on Earth.”

It’d take a while to get there as well.

If you travelled at 70mph (there’s ‘managed lunar motorway’ works just past Mars so you’ll have to travel at 50mph for 75,000 miles by the way) then it would take you 1,292 years to get there.

“Are we there yet?” would take on a whole new meaning.

And that’s when Saturn is at its nearest point within its orbit. If it was the furthest point away from earth it’s take you an extra 300 years. Pack plenty of boiled sweets would be the advice.

You’re now thinking there’s no way we’ll ever go to Saturn, it sounds like a terrible place.

But here’s the fact that changed my mind about a trip is that after this year’s snow, rain and generally non-stop meteorological misery it appears a summer on Saturn lasts eight months.

If I bring the barbecue will you grab the sun cream?