We Brits do nothing but talk about the weather. But the best tale, far and away, is that of St. Swithin.
Saint Swithin was born around the year, 800 and served as the Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Winchester from 852 until his death in 862.
Saint Swithin’s dying request was to be buried in the churchyard of the Old Minster in Winchester where the rain could fall on his grave and passersby could walk near to his resting place. He was indeed buried there and lay in rest for a century. However, in 971, Saint Swithin was made the patron saint of the newly restored Winchester Cathedral and his remains were transferred to a shrine inside the building. According to legend, on the day that his remains were removed, 15 July, it rained, and rained, and rained.
This was interpreted as a sign of Saint Swithin’s displeasure at being moved from his grave, so after forty days of persistent rain, they dug him up and buried him in his former grave in the Old Minster...........and the sun came out!
That legend still has some currency in that we always seem to get a wet summer if it rains on July 15th. It is of course a superstition, however, there might be a grain of truth in the idea that the weather can become more predictable around the middle of July, potentially due to the jet stream settling into a pattern. Whilst the legend may have roots in historical weather patterns, it's not a reliable predictor of future weather, but it's a great tale even if it is no more than a superstition.
