IT WILL come as no surprise to Oxford residents to discover how topsy turvy last year was for weather.

Residents had to endure floods at the start of the year with the wettest winter for nearly 250 years but were able to bask in a sunny Indian summer with a dry September.

While the fact Oxford was so warm might please the sun-worshippers among us, forecasters warn it will also mean more rain.

And with the city’s flood defences having been repeatedly breached in the past, that news will come as a worry for many.

As scientists continue to investigate the cause, the city needs to fast-track flood defences should the warnings prove true.