Happy St Swithin’s Day 2019! Is it going to rain for 40 days?
WHATEVER the weather is on July 15 it will continue for the next 40 days - or so folklore states.
Legend has it that the conditions on St Swithin’s Day will set the tone for the weeks leading up to September, but where did this tale originate from?
When is St Swithin's Day 2019?
St Swithin's Day takes place on July 15 each year.
According to tradition, whatever the weather is like on that day, be it glorious sunshine or torrential rain, this will carry on for the 40 days that follow, as the rhyme proclaims:
St Swithin’s Day, if it does rain
Full forty days, it will remain
St Swithin’s Day, if it be fair
For forty days, t’will rain no more
What is the weather forecast for St Swithin's Day?
St Swithin's Day is expected to be fine and dry with temperatures of 16-20C.
So is this what we can expect over the next 40 days?
According to the Met Office, July 15 - St Swithin's Day - will see overcast skies in parts of south east England before giving way to an afternoon of sunny spells.
Elsewhere will see sunny spells, mainly dry, with the risk of rain in western areas.
Tuesday, July 16, follows a similar pattern, but more rain is expected on Wednesday before heavy showers on Thursday, July 18.
It seems unlikely that the fine and dry weather will last until August 24, and most Brits will be hoping the temps will increase from the St Swithin's Day climate of 16-20C.
Who was St Swithin?
St Swithin, or St Swithun, was a monk who died around 862AD.
Legend has it that he requested to be buried in the churchyard of the Old Minster (cathedral) at Winchester.
He is said to have selected the spot so “the sweet rain from heaven might wet his grave.”
However, when his remains were moved inside the cathedral on July 15, he was so appalled that he made it rain for the following 40 days.
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Is there any truth to St Swithin's Day?
The addressed the myth on their website.
A spokesperson said: “Unfortunately the weather rhyme which stemmed from this legend just doesn’t stack up.
“Since the start of records in 1861, there has never been a record of 40 dry or 40 wet days in a row following St Swithin’s Day.
“So you can’t make a 40-day forecast out of a rhyme and today’s weather.”