Doomsday by Warwick Deeping

This was in October. In August, casting back six weeks, there was other rain, English rain.

The Press weather report had promised a continuance of the drought; a ridge of high pressure was extending northwards from the Azores; the wind would be from the north-west--the weather fair and warm. So much for the experts. In the afternoon of the same day the wind veered to the west and became strong and gusty; masses of white cloud began to sail the sky--and mixed with these great galleons were little smudges of smoking vapour. When Furze saw these smudges an excitement stirred in him. He could feel the coming rain; it was there; if only the cloud canopy would form and break.