St Swithin’s Day Weather – Fact or Fiction?

According to British folklore, the weather on St Swithin’s Day will dictate the weather for the next forty days.  The legend comes from the burial of an Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Winchester Cathedral in 862, who requested that his remains be placed in an outdoor grave.  His wishes were honoured for 9 years until the monks of Winchester took it upon themselves to move him into an ornate shrine within the Cathedral.  On that day – 15th of July – as removal began, a violent rain storm erupted, with inclement weather persisting for 40 days thereafter.

But is there any truth behind the myth?

The Met Office have concluded that the middle of July tends to be around the time that the jet stream settles into a relatively consistent pattern.  If the jet stream lies north of the UK throughout the summer, continental high pressure is able to move in, bringing warmth and sunshine.  If it sticks further south, Arctic air and Atlantic weather systems are likely to predominate, bringing colder, wetter weather.”  However, whenever the myth has been put to the test, it invariably fails because 40 days is a very long time to have consistent weather in the UK.

Even though the British weather is unreliable, our customers at StartUp Croydon can always rely on us to provide expert training, mentoring and support and we won’t bury you under unnecessary jargon.  Our impressive, (storm-proof) enterprise centre, Weatherill House, is home to 38 businesses and we often have office space available with all-inclusive packages and no hidden costs – or book one of our subsidised business meeting rooms  to accommoate your guests in a professional environment.