People in a village have been finding ways of staying resilient while trying to deal with weather conditions from opposite ends of the scale. In Cardinham, near Bodmin in Cornwall, villagers who made headlines in March after enduring 55 days of rain without a break are now coping with a third heatwave in quick succession, four months later.
How has the school been coping with the heat?
Matt Larcombe, head teacher of Cardinham Primary School, said the children had adapted well to both extremes. He said they had shown resilience during the rain and had been creative about keeping cool during the recent hot weather.
The children have been absolutely brilliant. We've seen with the rain they have been really resilient in the way they have coped. With the heat, they have been really creative about how to keep cool.
The school has seen children keeping their cool by having outdoor assemblies, keeping all doors and windows open and restricting some PE activities to walking rather than running. Some of the older children have been allowed to bring in mini-fans to use in the classroom while studying.
Larcombe said other children had been creative by making their own paper fans.
Larcombe also put himself in the firing line for a wet sponge at the school summer fete when he was put in some “stocks” - a board with a chick painted on the front and holes for the head and hands.
What have villagers said about the weather?
Villagers have described wanting the rain back after the hot weather followed an exceptionally wet winter. Cornwall's winter rainfall, covering December, January and February 2026, was the wettest winter on record for 190 years.
The average rainfall for just the combined months of January, February and March was 368mm.
Lizzy Smart was using her garden pond as a rain gauge during the winter when a total 542mm of rain fell over the entire period.
Now it has dried up with only three fish left from what was a shoal of 150.
We don't want heat anymore
This is definitely the heat.
We don't want this heat anymore and I do pray that the good Lord will send us something called rain.
What was the winter like in Cornwall?
Cornwall's winter rainfall, covering December, January and February 2026, was the wettest winter on record for 190 years. The combined months of January, February and March averaged 368mm of rainfall, underscoring how unusual the shift from prolonged rain to repeated heatwaves has been for villagers.
The village first drew attention in March after 55 consecutive days of rain began on 30 December 2025. Four months later, residents are now dealing with a third heatwave in quick succession.
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Key Facts
- Cardinham, near Bodmin in Cornwall, endured 55 days of rain starting on 30 December 2025.
- The village is now facing a third heatwave in quick succession four months later.
- Cornwall's winter rainfall for December, January and February 2026 was the wettest winter on record for 190 years.
- Lizzy Smart said her garden pond dried up, leaving only three fish from a shoal of 150.
- Matt Larcombe said children at Cardinham Primary School have been using outdoor assemblies, open windows and mini-fans to cope with the heat.
