Anyone who is still sceptical about the alarming change in our climate must have been lucky enough not to get caught in Saturday's monsoon-like downpour over Oxford.

Our weather patterns have definitely gone continental, with scorching hot weather interspersed with torrential downpours.

Add to this a semi-permanent drought and it is clear that our long hot summers come at a price.

One worrying aspect of Saturday's cloudburst is the widespread flash flooding which hit areas like Botley and Kidlington, causing thousand of pounds worth of damage and untold misery to families and businesses.

If, as forecasters predict, there is more of the same in prospect, then it will not be the last time we see our streets and homes underwater.

We are clearly going to have to adapt, to more sun and heavier rainstorms, and our infrastructure is going to have to be overhauled so that people don't get flooded out every summer.

Councils, Thames Water and other agencies can start by figuring out why certain areas were hit so hard and taking immediate action to ensure that it does not happen again.