Summer 2008 forecast MET Office - Issued 3 April 2008

The main feature of Summer 2007 was the high rainfall experienced by many regions, especially during June and July. For parts of England and Wales, notably the Midlands, it was the wettest summer since the national and regional rainfall series began in 1914. Temperatures last summer was near the 1971-2000 average. However, against the background of warming climate, Summer 2007 was relatively cool, the coolest since 1998.

Temperature

Mean temperatures are more likely to be above the 1971-2000 average. However, there is a slightly enhanced chance of cloudier and cooler spells.

Rainfall

Rainfall is more likely to be either near average, or above average. The risk of exceptional rainfall, as seen last summer, is assessed at very low at this stage.

"April 2007 was the hottest since records began in 1659" UK Met Office - April 2007

Worldwide, the provisional figures for 2006, using data from January to November, place the year as sixth warmest in a global record that stretches back to 1850 and around 0.42C above the 1961-1990 average.

"10 out of the last 12 British summers have been the hottest since records began" UK Met Office - December 2006 Britain experienced its record high temperature and continental Europe saw forest fires raging out of control, great rivers drying to a trickle and thousands of heat-related deaths. But just how remarkable is only now becoming clear. The three months of June, July and August were the warmest ever recorded in western and central Europe, with record national highs in Portugal, Germany and Switzerland as well as Britain. And they were the warmest by a very long way.