Britain is far from the wettest place on earth, but its reputation as a gray landscape populated by perpetually wet umbrellas has long permeated our national identity.
“It’s raining cats and dogs” dates back to the 17th century, when English people muttered a phrase when torrential rains dislodged animal carcasses from primitive drainage systems and washed them into the streets.
These voices were still being heard earlier this year, when the UK had a particularly difficult start to 2026.
However, in terms of average annual precipitation, it ranks only 83rd in the world, behind Colombia, the Maldives, Jamaica, and New Zealand, but more than the United States.
But while other countries suffer from extreme rainfall and drought, the rain hits the UK in a different way.
“The Atlantic Ocean has a lot of moisture and has a huge influence on our weather,” explains Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society. Britain is also slap banging in the path of the jet stream, a band of high-velocity winds that “develops cloud and rain weather systems and directs them towards our coasts.”
This means that it can rain at any time, anywhere, and perhaps it is this unpredictability, the feeling that rain is always lurking around the corner, that allows rain to saturate the public consciousness. From painter JMW Turner’s exhilarating, dynamic work “Rain, Steam and Speed - The Great Western Railway” (worth a visit to London’s National Gallery on a drizzly afternoon) to Travis’ pop anthem “Why Does It Always Rain On?”, it perfectly encapsulates the eye-opening British musings of “Me?”.
But of all the rainy British scenes, it’s probably the umbrellas that Mary Poppins used for aerial transportation, which are hastily opened in the showers at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships every July.
Fox Umbrellas, based in Croydon, south London, has been making umbrellas since 1868 and currently produces between 20,000 and 25,000 umbrellas a year. You’ve probably seen some of them on your screen in shows like “Outlander,” “The Crown,” and “Peaky Blinders.”
“Many people think of our island as a place where it rains a lot,” says Paul Garrett, managing director of Fox Umbrellas.
He says many people regard the umbrella as a “quintessentially British item”. He added that in Victorian times, gentlemen had to wear a bowler hat and carry an umbrella to be properly attired, but today more casual attire is the norm.
Events such as Royal Ascot, the horse racing week that is a highlight of the upper-class social calendar each June, are “a chance to meet well-dressed people, many of whom carry umbrellas in case of bad weather,” says Garrett. Umbrellas are still necessary in modern society. ”
International visitors often want to support this culture. “Many tourists value the functionality and elegance of umbrellas to match their outfits,” says Garrett. “Some foreigners even come to us to order custom-made umbrellas. We can spend a lot of time choosing the details.”
The British have not only woven their persistently wet climate into their cultural symbols, but it’s often an industry in itself. Meet Burberry, a luxury fashion house with Victorian roots. That rain-proof trench coat remains a highlight of London Fashion Week.
If you need further proof, look no further than Scotland, which has long perfected alternative ways of dealing with its abundant rainwater. If you can’t beat it, drink it.
Rasaay Island Distillery is located on a small island off the northwest coast of Scotland and is one of over 150 whiskey distilleries in the country. Rainwater and its processes are crucial to the character of each single malt Scotch whisky. In the case of Rasay, it collects in Dun Qana (a basalt outcrop of volcanic rock), traverses the rock over hundreds and thousands of years, gradually collecting minerals, until it reaches the permeable Jurassic sandstone below the distillery, from where it is pumped via wells.
“The nature of the water that comes from our wells has a huge influence on the flavor and style of Rassay Hebridean Single Malt,” says Rassay co-founder and master distiller Alasdair Day. “The biggest influence on a new make spirit and how it ages into a single malt whisky is the minerality and the fact that the water is slightly harder.”
Rainwater is essential at every stage of whiskey production. “We use this mineral-rich well water for all uses within the distillery: mashing, fermentation, cooling and, very importantly, barrel compression and bottling strength reduction,” Day says.
While Fox Umbrella’s enjoys a major export market in Japan, 30% of Lasai’s whiskey bottles go to one of more than 50 markets overseas. None of this would have been possible without the rain. You begin to see why it’s a blessing and not a curse.
And while millions of people have UK rain products sent to them, others are making the trip to the UK to enjoy the less-than-perfect weather first-hand.
In 2015, the Guardian published a tongue-in-cheek article outlining “20 signs that you’re on holiday in the UK”. They troll the article by saying, “1) It’s starting to rain,” “2) It’s raining,” and “3) It’s still raining.” and so on. “…I wish you were here…!” A typical seaside postcard strip depicts a red-nosed family drenched in water from the sea and sky.
At first glance, a rainy British holiday appears to be little more than a punchline. However, many would argue that this is not the case.
“Wet weather doesn’t limit the UK experience,” explains Karl Walsh, VisitBritain’s senior vice president for the US. “From moody coastlines to vibrant cities, a different side of the country is revealed. Britain continues to offer moments of wonder even on the rainiest of days.”
In fact, Walsh claims that sometimes a good downpour can enhance the experience.
“The Ingleton Waterfalls Trail in the Yorkshire Dales allows you to really see how weather shapes the landscape,” says Walsh. “After a rain, the waterfalls are at their most impressive and the whole route feels more alive, which is one of the things that makes this area so appealing to visit.”
Another example is Gaping Gill, a cathedral-sized cave that is occasionally visited in the same area. “Underground waterfalls are impressive in any situation, but when it rains on the ground, the descent becomes even more dramatic,” he says. This is a rare experience that shows how Britain’s natural landscape can be just as stunning on a rainy day. ”
As Alasdair Day explains, the erratic weather also works its magic in Raasay: “Some visitors say they enjoy coming to Scotland for the weather…I think the distilleries in Raasay have some of the best views in Skye. The views change every five minutes, depending on the weather, clouds, fog and rain. That’s what makes Scotland such a special place.”
Fodor would agree with Walsh and Day. In 2022, 12 places in the UK are ‘better when it’s raining’.
warmer and wetter
The UK’s unusually wet start to 2026, with Northern Ireland experiencing its wettest January in 149 years, is a barometer of what’s to come.
Liz Bentley, from the Royal Meteorological Society, said: “Climate change is already causing the UK to experience warmer, wetter winters. “Climate change is also increasing the risk of heavy rainfall. Warmer air holds more moisture, so when it rains, it tends to be heavier.”
For a country that often looks out its rain-splattered windows, the UK is shockingly unprepared for the extreme weather that looms on the horizon. Floods, power outages, transportation disruptions, and even deaths are sure to increase. The country will have to dig deep and come up with other ways to embrace and use heavy rain.
Even if Britons (and many of their visitors) quietly worship the rain, you can have too much of a good thing. May it rain in Britain for a long time. However, you don’t want it to rain for a long time.
