After melting May, will summer be a scorcher?

BRITAIN could enjoy one of the hottest summers in years, long-range forecasts suggest.

After the warmest May on record, the Met Office says there is a 40 per cent chance that the three months from June to August will fall into the warmest of its five categories, meaning higher temperatures than average.

The prediction is included in its latest three-month outlook. It was made after an analysis of atmospheric conditions, ocean temperatures and readings from weather stations around the world. Below-average rainfall is also predicted. But weathermen urged caution and said the forecast could change.

They said it was too early to predict whether this summer will be as warm as 2006, the longest continuous period of hot weather in this country since records began.

They also warned of a dip in temperatures over the next three weeks as Atlantic fronts bring fresher conditions. Top temperatures will be 18C (64F) or 19C (66F) by Thursday.

Last month was the warmest May on record with an average daily maximum of 17C (63F).