Retired master mariner Jeremy Procter says global warming is behind Britain's latest run of bad weather.

The 77-year-old, who has his own monitoring station in the garden of his home in Sittingbourne, said: "Climate experts predicted we would see more extreme weather and that is definitely the case.

"We have always had the odd gale and, of course, there was the Michael Fish incident in 1987 when Sevenoaks became Oneoak but the warming of the atmosphere is definitely creating more severe weather.

"Already this year we have had three with Storm Brendan, Storm Ciara and now Storm Dennis. They are caused by deep depressions in the North Atlantic which are becoming more frequent. The atmosphere is becoming more unstable."

Mr Procter should know what he is talking about.

For years he monitored weather conditions in the North Sea for oil giant BP and was in charge of moving oil drilling rigs into position.

But today he said Kent, and in particular Sittingbourne, had escaped "fairly unscathed".

He said: "The highest wind speed I recorded was 41mph at 9pm last night (Saturday).

"The rain hasn't been very heavy but it has been continuous and there is more to come. The ground is already saturated. Any water run-off will fill up the streams.

"But it has been extraordinarily mild with temperatures around 12C. It is probably because I am in the lea of the North Downs. The gusts would be much stronger at the top of Detling Hill."

He said high winds were predicted to carry on into the middle of tomorrow.

Mr Procter added: "We still have a weather warning in place.

"Whenever you see that, it is a very good idea to check your house and garden to ensure everything is battened down otherwise you are likely to see your wheelie bin disappearing down the street."

He said: "I don't predict weather but I like to keep data for 10 years to check trends. It's a hobby of mine. I always had to monitor the weather for work."

One of his markers is the year's first and last cut of the grass. Many gardeners have already mown their lawn.

Mr Procter said: "Grass won't grow when the temperature is less than 6C. It is indicative of how mild the weather is now."

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