After hottest spring in 118 years comes coolest summer in 18

Two heatwaves have seen Britain basking in record temperatures this year - but has summer already been and gone?

Weather forecasters are predicting a cool and soggy summer that could be the coldest in 18 years.

And the less-than-sizzling summer could spell boredom for thousands of school children looking forward to the holidays.

Experts from The Met Office said the average central England temperature in June reached just 13.8C (57C) – the coldest since 1991 which managed only 12.1C (54F).

July has so far shown little signs of improvement with overcast conditions and long days of drizzle.

Temperatures have averaged just 15.8C (60F) and forecasters are warning that the rest of the month is unlikely to pick up. That could mean an average summer temperature of only 15.1C (59F).

The cool temperatures would make this year the coldest summer overall since 1993, which averaged 14.9C (59F) from June to August.

Even though London could struggle up to 25C (77F) today, the mercury in the rest of the country will reach just 16C to 19C (61F-66F).

The cool summer temperatures are a stark contrast to those earlier this year.

Spring – which statistically means March, April and May – saw sizzling temperatures that made it the hottest season for 118 years.

In April, unseasonal high temperatures reached 26.5C following four days of glorious sunshine.

Towards the end of June, weather officials had to issue health warnings as temperatures rocketed past the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and eastern deserts and reached a soaring 33C.

At Wimbledon, where Andy Murray reached the semi-final, hundreds of sweltering fans had to lie down on the grass as they battled the immense heat, while pavements at Brighton beach even melted it was so hot.

But, in general, June has been the dullest since 2008, with just 180.8 sunshine hours.

'We forecast a 'brolly and sunblock' summer and the brolly has certainly been needed lately,' Jonathan Powell of Positive Weather Solutions told the Metro.

'I expect the mixed summer to continue with a real mixed bag of washout days with torrential rain and dry days with pleasantly warm sunshine.'

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