12:26pm Thursday 31st August 2006
By Saiqa Chaudhari
SUN seekers were today warned that summer is over - putting to bed any hopes of a return of July's sizzling temperatures.
August has been marred by cold weather and rain and Bolton amateur meteorologist Graham Fullerton says all we can now hope for is a dry spell.
The hot weather that made July the warmest on record, with some days seeing higher temperatures than popular resorts such as Tenerife, will not return until next summer.
Mr Fullerton, who works at the Royal Bolton Hospital, said: "We have been spoilt by two months of good weather, culminating with record-breaking temperatures in July that were a few degrees higher than what we would normally expect."
But despite the constant recent rain, it is not the wettest August on record.
"The rain has not been exceptionally heavy," said Mr Fullerton.
"It has been a showery month, as opposed to heavy downpours. There have been no floods.
"The weather has been cold and gloomy and we have noticed it maybe a lot more because of the hot July, when everyone was complaining it was too hot."
Weather in Bolton this weekend is again predicted to be wet. Although it will be dry with sunny spells tomorrow, there will be frequent showers on Saturday and Sunday, with the heavier rain on Saturday. Temperatures will not reach any higher than 18C, or 64F.
Mr Fullerton said: "This is good news for the likes of United Utilities but not for us."
He added:"The last week has felt cold because of the wind, but there is still time for it to get better - but I don't think there will be any call for sunscreen for another year."
Keith Fenwick, a spokesman for the Met Office, said: "I can't see a return to the heatwave or sunshine we saw earlier in the year.
"There is nothing to get us rushing to the beaches - we are not going to see unlimited blue skies - but there will be areas that do enjoy warmer spells of pleasant sunshine during the breaks in cloud."
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