Aberdeenshire has been one of the wettest places of all, with Aboyne receiving over 130% of its normal February rainfall in just five days.

It should perhaps come as little surprise that the rain has also been accompanied by a seemingly unbreakable sheet of cloud.

Aberdeen recorded no sunshine for 14 days from 22 January – provisionally the longest sunless spell on record for the city.

Southern and south-western parts of England have also been badly affected by flooding and travel disruption.

Conversely, some areas of north-west England and western Scotland have been drier than normal, with Aultbea in the north-west Highlands recording no rainfall for 19 consecutive days.

A powerful jet stream has been sending areas of low pressure in from the Atlantic, arriving first across the south-west of England.

But high pressure has been stubbornly sitting across Scandinavia, blocking the progress of those rain-bearing weather systems, causing them to stall close to the UK.