In the referenced article, "Alan Gardiner" <alan.gardiner@poppet.com> writes:
>
>
>I don't know where in central southern England you live but July 2003
>has been much better that July 2002 so far in St Albans.

Southampton. I don't want to get into one of those debates again :-) but
I think of central S England as Hants, Berks, SE Wilts, east Dorset, IOW,
W Sussex. 

The main problem with this particular wet spell compared to "normal"
summer wet spells is the frequency of fronts, and non-thundery nature of
the frontal rainfall. The more typical summer pattern for wet spells is for
a low to settle over the area for several days, producing a more showery
pattern, with only around one front/week.

Nick