I wish I could be as hopeful as paul--- I feel more like Bill. This is a very grim thread for someone like me in the driest continent on Earth.

We are building a huge desalination plant in my state and since we had rain and some flooding (not huge flooding here, just what used to happen before we had drought), people are saying we will never use it. I do hope they are right!

Bill S do you have water restrictions in your part of the UK, or just a ban on garden watering? I was horrified to hear about that happening in some areas of the UK, and it isn'e even summer yet.