If heavy rain has dampens your spirits then here is a silver lining.
It has proved a blessing for a project to restore and expand historic wetland areas in the Howardian Hills National Landscape, North Yorkshire.
The 79 square mile area is famed for its rolling hills, hedgerows, ancient woods and magnificent parkland.
But a glance at a 19th century Ordnance Survey map reveals there is something missing - the sheer number of ponds, small lakes and wetlands.
The Howardian Hills Partnership has a goal to restore more of this vital habitat in its draft nature recovery plan, which seeks to build on work already completed.
One such project is the restoration of traditional farmyard ponds, including one at Manor Farm, Scackleton, owned by the Hickes family.
Owner Les Hickes remembers skating on the pond during the very cold winters of his youth. But it has long since dried out and become overgrown like so many others.
Now the wetland has been revitalised with a grant from the Howardian Hills, made through Defra's Farming in Protected Landscapes scheme.
Nick Burrows, from the Howardian Hills, explained: "What's nice is that the pond appears on the very first Ordinance Survey map of the area dating to 1852, as do many other ponds. We also have a 50 year old picture showing it was still in existence back then. Vegetation has been cleared and new clay laid down to retain water. All the rain recently has helped. Although originally intended as a drinking pond for livestock, the family have fond memories of the diversity of birdlife that used to visit along with amphibians. They approached us for support and we were delighted to act. In fact it is one of three ponds we have reinstated and two new ones created, working with the Birds on the Edge project."
The Howardian Hills has also helped create and restore 40 acres of wetland at two sites. The biodiversity benefits for wild fowl, insects and plants extend much further into the surrounding landscape. Additionally, a hydrology study is underway on nearly 120 acres of land near Coulton.
Ellie Hook, Manager of the Howardian Hills National Landscape, added: "The bigger picture is improving the connectivity of habitats. Wetlands and water courses are like arteries keeping the landscape alive. But the work is also increasing the land's resilience to changing weather patterns. We are pleased with what's been achieved so far, but plan to go much further."
Other projects include fencing off livestock access near a spring to help maintain a valuable habitat, improving soil structure by tree planting and installing a timber bridge to improve farm vehicle access and reduce damage to a beck.
As part of a host of other measures more than 8,000 wetland flowers have also been planted at East Ness as part of a much wider flood alleviation scheme.
They include iconic species such as marsh marigold, water plantain and water mint.
For more information go to www.howardianhills.org.uk