There was not a cloud to be seen over the Open Air Pool in Abingdon on the day when schools started back after the summer holidays.

The roads were busier than usual at rush hour as more people returned to work after their summer breaks.

June was sunny and warm, but July brought with it rain, and August was cooler than usual. The open-air pool was only open during the school holidays, which were disappointingly overcast. Now that the summer holidays are over and the pool has closed, the sun has come out. There have been some children tempted to swim in the river. That is part of the reason for the outdoor pool.

For three days in a row, warm sunny days were followed by thunderstorms.  The storms cooled things down and flattened a few plants, but by next morning the weather warmed up again.

Yesterday (Monday), a few of us got caught under the Abbey Gateway during a downpour. The rain was heavy for a few minutes, and the rumbles of thunder were sometimes continuous.

I took a short video of the storm, which you can see below. There is no lightening strike …

After heavy rain on March 31st, more rain is expected on April 1st. So it is a good time to remind drivers they can be hit with a £100 fixed penalty notice and three penalty points if caught by the police splashing pedestrians.

Under section three of the Road Traffic Act 1988, splashing pedestrians can be considered driving ‘without reasonable consideration for other persons.’