When is this abysmal weather going to end? Every day brings downpours and floods, with Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland awash with floodwaters, landslides and mudslides.

Just like last year, the blame for such weather lies with the jet stream. As this river of wind meanders around the globe a few miles up, it drags depressions along down below. Unfortunately, the jet stream has been meandering too close for comfort, dropping its depressions and their cargo of rains on weather fronts that have crawled along, leaving plenty of time for their deluges.

As unpleasant as these rains have been, though, they really have not been that bad over most of Britain. It would take a colossal rainfall over the rest of the month to beat the record-breaking rainfall of August 1912, when 193mm (7.6in) fell over England and Wales, and which left Norfolk marooned in a sea of floodwater. In fact, we may only match the August of 2004, when 156mm (6.1in) rain fell.

Much of Europe last week was also battered by some exceptionally violent storms that left ten people dead. Thunderstorms in northern Italy unleashed lightning, giant hailstones and vicious winds, and two mountaineers froze to death after apparently getting lost in the Italian Alps. Austria and Poland were also badly hit by wind, rain and hail.

In fact, the jet stream has sliced Europe in two. As the western half felt the depressions, Eastern Europe has had a blisteringly hot summer, as a persistent ridge of high pressure has dug in.