What is everyone talking about this week: How to make the most of wetter winters
With constant storms throughout January and February, 2026 has confirmed climate science's view that British winters are becoming rainier. The least we can do is embrace this
Care to guess how many umbrellas I’ve lost in 2026? A lot. Enough by now that I could have treated myself to a night at The Connaught if I hadn’t bought a new one each time. Anyway, it has been rather wet, and people have been up in arms about it, as if torrential rain is anathema to being British or something along those lines.
It rained three times more than it normally does in January. Southern England was the hardest hit, enduring its sixth wettest January on record. Yet we still went about our business as we usually do — and, given the resilience this seems to have inspired, I reckon we’ll continue to do so. We’ve known for years that wetter winters are becoming the norm, regardless of how these might arise (mostly storms) — so we may as well embrace them. Don the trenchcoat, the wellies and revel in the romance of it all. Just maybe don’t go swimming.
There's a certain romance to Britain in the rain; but we also ought to think of it in practical terms
The rain also leaves room for pragmatism. Wet weather, though temporarily tough on farmers, is good for our soil, assuming it is healthy and has been carefully restored after last year’s harvest so as to accommodate more rain. This both prevents flooding and creates better conditions for crops to thrive: good news for Worthy Farm, which is taking a sorely needed holiday from Glastonbury in 2026, precisely so that it can regenerate its soil. Don’t cry—at least the cows are happy.
Another thing we ought to do to make the most of the downpour is build more reservoirs. Wetter winters tend to beget drier summers, which increase the risk of water shortages. It seems almost comical that Britain should ever experience such a thing, although it did last summer when a record dry spring and a succession of heatwaves laid the stage for a drought. The subsequent hosepipe ban lasted until November.
The trouble with building a reservoir from conception to completion is it would take several more years than an electoral term. Our most recent reservoir opened in 1992; since then, infrastructure projects of the sort have not been high on any government’s list of priorities. As ever, our planning rules prove the biggest obstacle to progress. To make the most of wetter winters, we ought to begin relaxing them.
This feature originally appeared in the February 11, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.
