Central London seethes during rush hour. The underground is maxed, the trains are wedged, the roads are swollen and the footpaths force pedestrians to bunch together against their will.

When the rain comes, however, the dynamic on the footpaths changes.

Up come the umbrellas. It becomes an occupational hazard waling around without one, as you risk losing an eye to the end of a scything spoke every few paces.

More than anything, though, rain in London allows people to reclaim their personal space. Their umbrellas effectively double the space around them as they jostle for space with other umbrella-wielding walkers.

And there’s nothing a Londoner likes more than their personal space as they do their A to B thing.