Pack up your bikinis - summer is over, say forecasters

The best of the summer is over with unsettled weather forecast for the rest of the month and the Bank Holiday weekend, according to forecasters.

The Met Office has warned that most places in the country will experience a 'mixture of scattered showers or longer spells of rain in a predominantly westerly flow', dampening any hopes of a late flurry of sunshine or the 30C temperatures which hit the country on August 3 and June 27.

Rain is expected to be heavy at times, especially towards the north and west where there will be a risk of thunderstorms. Temperatures will cool to around 17C in the north of England and Scotland. The south and east are likely to see drier weather with temperatures of 20C and conditions are expected to 'be around normal for the time of year', according to a report in the Mail.

Temperatures will be lower in places where there is prolonged rainfall although forecasters expect them to rise gradually towards the weekend with the south west and Midlands enjoying most of the sunshine with temperatures of 22C.

MetCheck forecasts that autumn storms are likely towards the end of August, bringing with them cooler, unsettled weather. There is likely be some respite in early September when the weather becomes more settled although temperatures are unlikely to be hot.

This summer has only seen two days which forecasters classify as hot - when temperatures reach 30C - compared to the summer of 2006 which had 20 hot days.

Jonathan Powell, senior forecaster with Positive Weather Solutions, told the Telegraph: 'With the remainder of August looking somewhat gloomy, this summer really has been a stinker. Some parts fared better than others with the east and south-east head and shoulders above the rest. All eyes will be on the last big getaway of summer for the late August Bank Holiday but even that period looks poor at present.'

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