Instagram being the site of sunsets and smoothie bowls, it might seem counter-intuitive to look out the window, see rain, and think: at least it might make a good picture.

But thousands of images of rainy days in cities across the world are being captured on the #puddlegram and #puddlereflection hashtags, as amateur and professional photographers work with the weather they’ve got. The results can be quite otherworldly – alternate views of familiar cities, glimpsed for surreal new angles.

Let’s not forget the mania that gripped the UK during the #Drummondpuddlewatch saga, when 20,000 people tuned in to watch a live-stream of Newcastle residents attempting to negotiate a large puddle with increasingly inventive means – leading to it becoming a bizarre national talking point.

On Instagram, Vlad Karpyuk of Saint Petersburg has been getting in on the puddle fever and collating the best city images on his account @PuddleoftheDay, since February. He shared his favourite image with Guardian Cities: this one, taken with an iPhone in Portugal.

We frequently share the best urban photography from around the world on our own Instagram account, @guardiancities.

To be considered for inclusion, tag your shot with #guardiancities or email a high-resolution image – and a bit about it – to our communities editor, Elle Hunt: elle.hunt@theguardian.com.

Here are some soggy city scenes that caught our eye:

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