My phone keeps buzzing from the Twitters of my friends. The big topic of conversation is the hailing rain and the gales.

I know all about it, I'm dripping wet at the side of the road. Two cars have collided and I'm standing in the dark in an attempt to stop any bystanders from stealing something from the wrecked cars. It's a November night at that indeterminable time of the night that could be ten, or midnight, or 3 a.m.

The leaking oil is reflecting streetlights and it makes pretty patterns beneath my feet.

I'm waiting for the police, our Control has let us know that they have no units to send. It's a shame, but the police station is only a little way up the road. I can just about see the 'Police' sign through my water-covered glasses. My crewmate is in the ambulance dealing with the two people who only have minor injuries from the crash.

Then from up the road appears a police sergeant. He's walked up from the station to come and give us a hand.

It seems that the local police are a bit thin on the ground and the sergeant talks into his radio to call some police away from paperwork to help make the place safe. It's dark and the immobile cars are a hazard to traffic. We've already tried to push it out the way ourselves but some hidden bent bit of metal is making that impossible.

The officers arrive and we all turn our hands to pushing the cars out of the way, finally they start rolling and we soon have them on the side of the road.

I'm left standing in the rain as the back of the ambulance is getting a little crowded, patients and relatives - none with coats. As I'm the only one wearing something approaching weatherproof clothing I'm left standing outside.

My phone buzzes, more Twitters arrive. Apparently it's raining. I'd never have guessed.

Eventually more relatives of the two women who have been sheltering in our ambulance turn up. They shake our hands and thank us, then the people are away. No need for hospital and they have things that they need to do.

I climb into the cab.

I steam slightly. At least it's the end of the shift, actually it's past the end of the shift and I now have less than eleven hours before I have to do it all again.

A big drop of cold water runs down my back.