Oftentimes rain here is accompanied by wind, and a flimsy umbrella won't do!
In addition to this, I invested in a clear, dome-shaped umbrella. I got it relatively cheap from Argos. It was more expensive than some other umbrellas but it was worth the money because I found when I first moved here and was in a pretty big city centre, nobody wanted to get out of my way. I had to actively be the one to move. I'm just at the right height for my umbrella to be in peoples faces so I found the see-through design made it easier to walk around busy areas and the dome shape stopped the wind from breaking it!
Somebody else mentioned doing whatever you can to maintain friendships. That is important as well! Always take up the offer to go out for a drink, even if you don't stay long. You will thank yourself for the opportunity later on. It definitely can be difficult to make friends so when the opportunity arises, it's better to make the effort.
My personal piece of advice is to get a credit card ASAP. Even if you don't use it all the time and just whack some groceries on it every month that you pay off right away it can be very beneficial. If you plan on staying here long term and buying property, it can be one of the best ways in your power to get credit [there are other things you likely won't be eligible to do to up your credit score like registering to vote, so do what's in your power as soon as you can].
