Then, it was mainly warm, moist winds from the south Atlantic which brought the rain. This year, so far, the winds have been mainly from the north - and much colder and drier. It may not have seemed so, he says, but total rainfall for September was only about half what it was for the same month last year. So the real test will be in the weeks to come. Last year's floods were a freak event that would be expected to happen only once in 300 years, he stressed.
More rain is forecast during the next few days.
For last year's flood victims that is little comfort. As the rain falls, frustration at the perceived lack of progress on flood defences grows. She says sometimes the urge to grab boots and shovel and start dredging the Derwent of silt is almost overwhelming. If we cleared all the rubbish out, at least the water would have somewhere to go. People would gladly do it, I'm sure, but we're not given the option.