A thatcher, gardener and others on keeping their business afloat in the bad weather – and their fears for the future

With 76 flood warnings still in force across the UK and further downpours forecast this week and next, parts of the country have endured rain almost without pause since the start of the year.

The prolonged wet weather is disrupting livelihoods as well as daily life, particularly in rural areas, where flooded roads, waterlogged ground and repeated storms are making it harder to keep businesses afloat, protect crops and maintain steady work.

Bizarre idioms for downpours are just one facet of how the UK uses dark humour and ritual to brave the wet

May it fall as a blessing, not as a curse. So goes the ancient prayer inviting us to embrace days of rain.

It is a prayer that would not be welcomed by anyone on the floodplains the UK persists in filling with houses. It would be met with outright hostility by any farmers who are now unable to do any of the things they need to do in February because their land has had literally 40 days and nights of rain.

Met Office issues new weather warning for potential travel disruption until Sunday morning

An Arctic blast of very cold air will this weekend bring snow, sleet, hail, freezing rain and icy conditions across most of the UK, forecasters have said.

The Met Office issued new yellow warnings for wintry conditions and potential travel disruption lasting until Sunday morning. Previous snow and ice warnings for Scotland and northern England expired at noon on Friday. Freezing temperatures have also led to a four-day health alert for cold weather.

Glimpse of sun after weeks of unrelenting rain marks end of longest sunless period in area since records began

Aberdeen has finally had some sunshine, for the first time in 21 days – marking the end of the longest sunless period in the area since Met Office records began in 1957.

Residents of the Granite city in north-east Scotland glimpsed the sun late on Thursday afternoon, with sunshine having been last recorded on 21 January.

We would like to hear from people about the impact of the wet weather conditions in the UK

Persistent rain and flooding is affecting farmers, builders, sports, wildlife – and damaging roads and homes across the UK.

Parts of Devon, Cornwall and Worcestershire have seen rainfall daily for the last 40 days, while provisional Met Office statistics show that Northern Ireland experienced its wettest January in 149 years. Wales has reached 39% of its February monthly average rainfall already.