'Miserable after 42 days of rain' - behind the deluge at one of UK's wettest spots

In one of the wettest parts of the UK, it's getting biblical.

More than 40 days of consecutive rain has poured down on Katesbridge, County Down, on what has been a record-breakingly soaked January and February.

And while some have joked about building an ark, ala Noah after the Bible's own 40 days of rain, others in the tiny hamlet, sometimes dubbed Kates-fridge for regularly breaking lowest temperature records, would happily sail somewhere drier.

"It's miserable," said Stacyann Strain, the manager of a childcare centre, while Jonathan Steritt, describing how the wet weather was not only affecting his photography business but also his mood. said: "It's hard to put a smile on the face."

January was the wettest month across Northern Ireland in nearly 150 years, with an unusually high amount of rain.

And Katesbridge has seen some of the worst of it.

For the month of February, so far,185.4mm of rain has been recorded at the weather station in the hamlet.

The average is 66.2mm of rain for February.

For Strain, the real impact has been on the children in her care who she said have been stuck indoors.

"We really love being outside but it's to the point where we can't."

Strain and her team cater to schools in the area, caring for about 12 to 15 children each evening.

But the weeks of rainfall have complicated even the simplest routines.

Staff have been repeatedly soaked during school collections, while localised flooding has caused delays on routes and worsened potholes along already narrow rural roads.

"We have the minibus and we take the kids to Katesbridge park, but there's times where the flooding has completely covered it," she said.

"It can take weeks for things to dry up and when it does, it's not clean.

"When the kids are outside, in the fresh air, the kids love that and their moods, their behaviour - everything improves."

Sterritt has been living in Katesbridge for the past 10 years with his wife and four children.

He said the rain this year is the worst he has ever seen.

A pet photographer, it has left him with fewer bookings than usual for this time of year.

"I've no indoor studio, it's all outdoor and nobody wants their dogs pictured all wet and mucky," he said.

In the meantime, some of his own dogs have been enjoying the wet weather, playing fetch in a nearby river, except for miniature schnauzer Bodhi, who has been having a rougher time.

"You open the backdoor, and he'll not go out if he sees a bit of water on the ground," Sterritt said.

"Oh he's fussy. He enjoys his home comforts."

And to a certain extent Sterritt agrees, saying he prefers Katesbridge's signature cold weather to its recent wet spell.

"Give me the cold any day. See this wet, it's just dull and miserable."

But while Katesbridge is one of the wettest, they should spare a thought for other soggy postcodes.

In the small Cornish village of Cardinham the rain so far this year has been relentless.

According to the Met Office, as of 20 February it had rained there every day for 51 days, with the last dry day recorded there on 30 December 2025.

And in the Republic of Ireland, Valentia in County Kerry has seen at least 50 days of rain between 1 January until 20 of February – essentially every single day of the year up until that point.

Trevor Harley, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Dundee, said the longer a period of dull, wet weather continues, the greater its potential impact.

"Rain does affect us by deterring us from doing things such as getting outside getting fresh air and exercise."

"Its main effect though, is that rain comes with cloud, and I think the cloud affects us more."

Cloudy, overcast conditions can worsen Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression linked to reduced daylight which Harley says affects about 10% of the population.

"It will lower our mood individually and collectively."

Harley said that while cold, wet and overcast weather can weigh heavily on mood, there are practical steps people can take to counter its effects.

He suggests using a light box each morning and maintaining a regular sleep routine to help counter reduced daylight exposure and regulate the body clock.

Getting outside, even in poor weather, for fresh air, light and exercise can also lift mood, he said. While a vitamin D supplement may help during winter.

Above all, he believes it is important to accept the season and find small comforts in it rather than resist it.

"We can all take the odd day. Duration makes things worse.

"I try to enjoy every sort of weather, as part of mindfulness, but I think some places would tempt me sorely - and Katesbridge would be one of them."