Just the pitch covered now. West Indies' fielders - some of whom didn't look as though they really enjoyed fielding in drizzle earlier - are going through a warm-up routine in front of the pavilion.

If you're just joining us, we're waiting for play to resume at 17:00 BST, when it will be a 39 overs per side game. And you can expect plenty of action for Duckworth, Lewis and Stern.

England will resume on 43-0 after 10.2 overs - here's the highlights so far:

Not wanting to jinx it, but this is looking promising.

Side covers are off and are being folded up. Just the pitch and the run-ups are still covered now.

Some news!

Play will resume at 17:00 BST - with the match reduced to 39 overs per side.

BBC Test Match Special

So no news of an inspection yet - but it looks like the rain has stopped.

The ground staff have been out and have detached the "side" covers from the "wheelie" covers which are still in place over the main pitch. The square is now being gradually uncovered.

We'll keep you posted if there is any concrete news - good or bad.

County Championship commentary continues on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.

Henry Moeran
BBC Test Match Special

We're watching the rain abate slightly - but at this stage, there's no hint of a restart. They're just starting the very first part of the mopping-up operation. So we're not a million miles away, and the forecast is better for later.

There's another band of rain coming - but the hope is that Chelmsford will miss it.

BBC Test Match Special

Somerset have beaten Kent - and TMS coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra has switched to Surrey v Yorkshire.

There's still no immediate prospect of play at Chelmsford - where England were 43-0 after 10.2 overs against West Indies - though they expect the rain to ease off in the next hour or two.

So we're going to pause the live text at this point - rest assured, we'll be back as soon as we know anything about any prospect of a resumption.

Does anyone remember last summer, when the heatwave was so extreme that even MCC announced that jackets were not required in the pavilion for a T20 match between Middlesex and Hampshire?

Seems a lifetime ago now.

A reminder of the best bits we've had at Chelmsford so far:

I can tell you where there is an exciting finish in prospect - at Canterbury, where Somerset have just bowled Kent out for 59, so are chasing 30 to win.

You can read live text commentary on the County Championship - and listen to every ball of every game via BBC Local Radio - here.

Henry Moeran
BBC Test Match Special

Things are brightening up a touch and the floodlights are shining brightly.

But we expected this rain - and we hope that when it's due to stop around 4.30pm-5pm, we could get some play after that.

But in this game, as Henry Moeran noted earlier, even though the rain is falling, we won't even start losing overs until 15:30 BST.

TMS are going over to Trent Bridge where the latest inspection in the Men's World Cup game is taking place - and the news for India and New Zealand is that it's match abandoned without a ball bowled.

Image source, Getty Images

The ground staff, having stretched the cover sheets virtually from the cover boundary to the mid-wicket boundary, have now deserted the playing area completely. Which is always a bad sign.

Charlotte Edwards
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

On how women's cricket has changed in the past few years:

Pakistan have been a real success story. The fact they can come up against West Indies now and you think they'll possibly win is really good. That wouldn't have happened a few years ago.

Daniel Norcross
BBC Test Match Special

When rain meets cricket, it's like when good meets evil - and evil always wins. There's not much you can do about it.

There can't be many covers left in the entire county of Essex. The "square" is now covered almost as far as the boundary on the pavilion side of the ground.

Henry Moeran
BBC Test Match Special

It's worth pointing out, it's raining very hard now.

So if you're just joining us, I'm afraid we're off for rain with England 43-0 after 10.2 overs.

Here's the best of the action so far:

Charlotte Edwards
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

Have you ever done the "accidental slide and fall over" in the field to persuade the umpires to go off for rain?

I've pulled it off in county cricket a few times. They were on to me in international cricket.