If you happen to be of British extraction, you'll probably already know all about the weather, as it provides a handy topic of conversation when none other exists.

In Britain, as presumably in other such countries where the weather can move from bright and sunny to dense rain and fog in the space of a few hours, it is considered perfectly acceptable to comment on the blindingly obvious to complete strangers in order to make conversation. Hence statements like "It's a bit wet out" in the middle of a raging thunderstorm, rather than being seen as sarcastic and annoying, are welcomed as a chance to display a resounding sense of optimism in the face of all the evidence with the response 'Might brighten up later though'.

This attitude may well not always be the case however. Comments such as "Hot today isn't it?" may well cause offence when spoken in the Sahara to passing nomads.

Many attempts have been made to predict the weather, including the invention of the barometer, the broadcast of the shipping forecast and the use of seaweed. Sadly these have all proved largely incapable of producing anything better than the axiom "The weather today will be largely the same as it was yesterday", which is astonishingly accurate in the majority of cases.

If you insist on having a more specific forecast, try the following: 'The weather today will be bright and sunny with the possibility of cloudy rain and/or fog. Lowering temperatures may lead to snow/sleet or hail, but then again they may not. Changeable conditions are likely.'