As I'm writing this Kendal, like most of the country, is being battered by Storm Ciara. Rain is sluicing down and wind gusts of up to 80mph have been recorded overnight - and the strongest winds are yet to come.

But as bad as this weather is, compared to the weather on other planets it's quite mild.

Take Venus, for instance.

Venus is currently visible in the west after dark, a bright "Evening Star" brighter than any other object in the night sky apart from the Moon. Venus was named after the Goddess of Love because it is such a beautiful sight, but as you look at it blazing in the twilight like a silvery spark on the next clear night count yourself lucky you're seeing if from far away and are not there to experience its less-than-beautiful weather...

Down on the planet's surface the temperature is higher than an oven at full heat, and its atmosphere is a thick, curdled blanket of poisonous carbon dioxide.

And within that atmosphere, winds can reach speeds of over 400mph, putting Storm Ciara's strongest gusts to shame.

But don't let that spoil your enjoyment of seeing Venus in the twilight, it really is a spectacular sight at the moment.

Stuart Atkinson