I DON’T know whether it’s my choice of hobbies, but I’ve never been that fussed about the weather.

Obviously I don’t like it too hot or too cold or too windy or too wet, but I’ve never planned my life around it.

My mum (a gardener), my partner (a golfer), my best friend (just incredibly nesh) all bemoan ‘bad’ weather as it affects what they want to do from week to week.

However, I can sit right through the 10 o’clock national and regional news and tell you what the headlines were afterwards – but ask me what they said about tomorrow’s weather forecast and I’m stumped. Without noticing I just switch off.

But it struck me listening to the radio over the weekend just how incredible our ability to forecast what’s on the horizon is.

And it should not be underestimated or taken lightly.

It was 26 years ago when the BBC’s Michael Fish famously reassured a nation that a hurricane wasn’t on its way... only for it to be one of the most serious and fatal that this country has ever seen.

And sadly, there are reports that at least five people have died as a result of the storm that battered southern Britain overnight on Sunday.

But I wonder how many more lives would have been lost if the warnings about St Jude’s Day storm hadn’t been so accurate and so forcibly made via the media?

Residents in south west England and Wales were urged to stay indoors and warned that transport on Monday could well be affected so they should make alternative plans.

And they knew power supplies might be damaged too.

All the warnings came to fruition.

Advances in technology – especially satellite technology – enable the experts to give people on the ground as much warning and advice as is humanly possible.

This is evidenced abroad more often than on home soil.

Areas prone to hurricanes are given several days’ warning of what’s to come so precautions can be taken – even evacuation if necessary.

I have relatives in Hawaii and so prone is that area to tropical storms that they have a well-practised escape route off the island that even includes airlifting their pet dogs to safety.

Nature is a wonderful thing – but it must be respected at all times.

And in a town that’s prone to flooding, we know that only too well.