A caller to a radio talk show that I listened to today made an interesting suggestion - wondering if the excessive rainfall is connected in someway to the BP Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The caller's reasoning: "The spill creates a large area which is darker than surrounding water; dark patches absorb more sunlight causing more evaporation of ocean water...."
.... and potentially the smoke and ash generated by the Icelandic volcano (Most went east, causing Europe and the UK problems, - but not all).... since dust, smoke or ash in the air is a necessary component for rain to form (rain clouds are often "seeded" in drought areas by spraying the clouds with particles onto which rain can form.)
As a theory, there's probably nothing to it.... but it does make you go, hmmmm!