Field Day

You can't turn the news on these days without being told it's the wettest, driest, hottest, coldest, windiest or stillest month.

The ever-more unpredictable weather means it always the something-est month since records began, as weather-watchers are so fond of saying.

And they've done it again - predictions are already being made that this will be the warmest January ever.

It's not hard to see why this time. Yesterday (I was stuck indoors at a desk, unfortunately, so I didn't get to enjoy it) temperatures were positively balmy. Even during the night in the capital, it was 12.6C (that's 55F in old money) which is four-times the 30-year average.

Farmers reckon some crops are more advanced than they've ever seen at this point in January; there's talk of record yields. Elsewhere, calves have been going down with pneumonia because of the mild temperatures. I even heard one (unconfirmed) report of oilseed rape in flower.

Animals and plants are obviously confused by the warm winter weather. "It's as if winter never started," says Dr Kate Lewthwaite of the Woodland Trust.

Don't put away your winter wardrobe just yet, though. Severe gales and heavy rain are forecast by the Met Office for parts of the country tomorrow.

I've never seen a Will o' the wisp.

There are various explanations for these mysterious lights, occasionally seen in marshy areas.

It's hard to imagine how terrible it must be to be affected by the flooding.

I read this morning that Field Day reader and fellow blogger Sara was woken in the early hours to find her farm has been badly hit by the rising water. Our thoughts are with you, Sara.

Other flooding news is also available here.

I’ve been contacted by someone who is working on a strand for the One Show that airs on BBC1.

They’re aiming to test whether there is any truth behind old weather lore sayings - to prove scientifically whether they’re true or not.

You might never need to know what I'm about to tell you - but on the other hand it might save your life.

I've just been reading Country Life (I look at the frontispiece and the property first - both, sadly, out of my league!) and then flick through the articles.

We've had a nightmare in this country because of the floods, but I suppose one - albeit tiny - consolation is that at least we don't suffer hurricans like our rural contemporaries do in the States.

Livestock websites over there even provide 'hurricane preparedness' guidance.

It’s 20 years to the day since the Great Storm.

It makes me feel two things to remember this: sad and old.

Have you got one of these in your garden? If not, you might well soon, it seems.

Water butts must become standard features of gardens within a few years, so Environment Minister Phil Woolas has said.

Increased development and climate change means rainwater needs to be stored and utilised more effectively, he recently told a meeting of drainage industry representatives (a right barrel of laughs that gig sounds!)

“I want to see a safe water butt in every garden by 2010," he said.

You might remember the animal shapes on the London underground map.

Well what about this - a cloud in the shape of a pig.

You've know I've said before that it seems every month or year is a record for something or other weather-wise (it's one of my pet hates, along with 24-hour rolling news and people who try and break every bone in your hand when they shake it).

The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for parts of Britain, with winds from Siberia having sent temperatures plummeting last night.

So, we haven’t seen any snow here in the south east – but parts of the country certainly have.

It’s got us talking about previous bad bouts of snow: there was 1987, 1963 and 1947.

Nature is confused by the weather, apparently. It's not the only one: I'm hoping to go walking on the North Downs this weekend - and haven't a clue whether I'll need a hat and scarf or T-shirt and shorts!

Another unlikely consequence of the warm weather - tortoises coming out of hibernation early.

Still, it's not exactly as if they're going to make a break for it or anything (not like the trout and salmon).

So, this month is all set to be the sunniest February on record. Well there's a surprise.

I've seen lots of depressing pictures over the past week or so of farmers hit hard by the floods. This one has stuck in my mind. It shows Richard Tutton at Trewern in Wales.

The shot below shows an almost totally submerged baler. And anyone who knows how high balers are will realise how deep that water is!