As I was just finished the top gate, enjoying the beautiful sunny day, the downpour started. It was instant heavy rain, no warning. And the lightning cracked not too far away. Under trees and working on a long metal fence wire I legged it. No option. I paused only to pull a tarpaulin over the barrow full of power tools, but before I reached the house the hurricane had taken the tarp off, then the barrow was picked up and thrown over, tools everywhere, and all still powered up. I was as wet as if they'd fished me out of the canal. The rain was so intense the road flooded instantly. The kitchen window was open a crack. Rain came in as if someone was using a fire hose outside. It drenched the telly and the PVR. The telly worked after it dried out but the PVR was burnt out.
After the rain stopped I went up to the gate and found the mains powered site radio, which I'd left turned on, was not working and smelled of burning. It's in the bin.
I spent all afternoon drying the power tools, also spreading out boxes of washers and screws and drying them. The cardboard boxes were ruined of course.
The next day the righthand post of the bottom gate leant over so the gate wouldn't shut. The rainwater had come in a torrent down the hill and had been channelled into the gap between the steps and the post. It had scoured out all the soil so the concrete was bare to the very bottom. I packed the hole with rubble and a wedge and the gate is now OK, but I might put a diagonal support to the post opposite the gate.
Bill