Wet weather forecast for tomorrow could signal a damp end to the summer, if British legend proves correct.
The myth of St Swithin’s Day states if it rains on July 15, wet weather will persist for 40 days and 40 nights.
But Huddersfield weatherman Paul Stevens doesn’t believe the legend.
He expects to see rain in the town tomorrow but it’s likely to be followed by changeable weather with some bright, warm, sunny spells.
And as he looked ahead into August, he expects to see a return to warm and dry weather.
The earliest reference to the St Swithin’s Day legend dates back to the 14th century.
St Swithin was an Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester, who died in AD862. When he was made a saint in 971, his body was dug up and moved to an indoor shrine in the city’s cathedral.
Some writers claimed this outraged the heavens, causing rain to pour on the church and continue uninterrupted for 40 days.
But the Met Office said there had not been a record of 40 dry or 40 wet days following St Swithin’s Day since records began in 1861.
Dan Williams of the Met Office said: “People should not fear the St Swithin’s legend. There is no observational evidence whatsoever to suggest that this legend holds any water.”
The forecast for July and August also looks set to defy the myth.
Mr Stevens, of Salendine Nook, said: “It does look changeable for the rest of this week and into the weekend but that should mean some warm and sunny spells as well as some heavy showers.
“There may be some heavier rain at the weekend and we could also see some strong winds, gusting up to 40mph.
“As we head into next week it remains changeable with temperatures perhaps a little below normal and there is no sign of a return of the heatwave.
“But as we move further on into August, it looks as though high pressure will build over the Continent and could bring us some really good, summer weather”.
July so far has seen 33m of rain, which is about average for the month.
The Met Office is predicting settled weather across the UK towards the end of July, with occasional spells of rain and showers possible at times.
Plenty of fine and dry weather is also expected in the first half of August, with a risk of occasional, short-lived spells of wetter weather.
