The London Weather Station

An umbrella is a tool that is used both to stop the rain and the sunlight. An umbrella made for protection from the sunlight is called a "parasol", which literally means "against the sun".

The umbrella was invented in China almost 2000 years ago.
The Chinese character for umbrella is and this character resembles the modern umbrella in design!

Umbrellas nowadays came in all colors and shapes. You probably already know those that can be closed and opened on the press of a button.
But there is more! There are now umbrellas that are designed so that they do not invert in very windy conditions. There are "talking" umbrellas that will tell the weather forecast, "hands free" umbrellas, and even umbrellas that will not drip water on the floor when collapsed. There are also clear, large "bubble" umbrellas which allow for greater vision while keeping completely dry.