Avant moi, le déluge

As the rain eases off ever so briefly, after absolutely tipping down before my eyes, it would be nice if the media did not follow slavishly the water companies’ official line (press releases – the delight of journalists and the bane of modern journalism).  With such downpours, the imposition of a hosepipe ban is not greatly constrictive, yet to emphasise we have had little rain relative to the last eighteen months is insulting to those suffering flash floods.  The River Medway looked ominously high yesterday as I looked down from the heights over Chatham and I am just grateful that I live on a hill (April has been a bad month for earthworms too – not only are their homes raging rivulets but there is so much surface water above ground that they migrate across roads and paths, with foreseeable consequences).  Yes, the reservoirs are lower than is preferable but a little more empathy to the rest of us than the executive boards of those who provide us with running water would be appreciated, as the flippant news gatherers juxtapose heavy storms in a time of drought by making light of the contradiction.