Summer of shivers is the coldest one in more than 40 years

IT is the summer which brought frost- covered glens in the Highlands and the dismal spectacle of a gritter on a major road in July.

Now Met Office figures suggest Scotland is on course for its coolest summer since the early 1970s.

While much of England basks in a fiveday sizzler with temperatures of 82f (28c) outstripping those in Brazil, Scotland’s dismal summer has seen the mercury dip 1.2c below the full summer average.

The Met Office says the average temperature between June 1 and July 31 north of the Border was only 11.41c (53f) – well below the 12.6c (55f) normally seen for the period.

Already that would make it Scotland’s coldest summer in 1985. But, with a chilly August in prospect, forecasters fear 2015 could be the coldest summer since 1972’s average of 11.26c (52f).

The coldest ever summer was 1922’s 10.61c (51f).

STV weather presenter Sean Batty said: ‘A lot of people are complaining and moaning about this summer.

‘We haven’t really had a good week all summer – and the longer range forecast doesn’t look promising either.’

The Met Office forecast says hot air from France will take temperatures in the south of England up to 79f (26c) today, 81f (27c) tomorrow and around 82f (28c) from Sunday to Tuesday – hotter than Salvador in Brazil.

But Scotland is due just 15c (59f) to 18c (64f) today and tomorrow, despite clear skies. Rain and temperatures of 15c (59f) to 20c (68f) are predicted from Sunday, with gales early next week in the West, the Met Office said. Atlantic fronts and rain are due to affect all parts from Wednesday, which will mean cooler conditions.

Met Office f orecaster Nicola Maxey said: ‘It will be cooler in Scotland, with rain on Sunday and cooler, fresher conditions remaining in following days.

‘Into midweek, there is the risk of Atlantic systems making it unsettled for the whole country.’

It was late last month that a gritter was spotted on the A90 dual carriage way, as forecasters predicted possible snowfall further north in the Highlands.

July was already one of the wettest on record after 72 per cent of the expected monthly rain fell in the first 15 days.

While Perth had 225 per cent of its usual rainfall for the month, Dundee had 196 per cent. Now forecast- ers warn that August will bring stormy Atlantic weather fronts – and that colder than normal conditions could continue until October. ‘There are no signs of any prolonged summer weather,’ said one Met Office forecaster.

To underline the misery, this year is on track to be the windiest one for at least two decades.

Official records show there have only been eight calm days since the beginning of the year – and none in the past three months.

Experts consider calm when 20 or more UK weather stations show peak gusts under 11mph. The last registered calm day was in April. Fewer than 19 calm days in the whole of 2015 will make it the windiest since at least 1995.

Experts at the Met Office blamed persistent l ow pressure over Scotland for causing this pattern.

The poor weather has hit farmers particularly hard, industry leaders said. An NFU spokesman for the North- East said: ‘ Farmers are mentally very tired, caused not only by the ongoing adverse weather, but also prices and general unknowns in our industry.

‘Silage is being cut wet, decent yields, but poorer quality.

‘Hay is a real challenge for those who have not managed to get it.’

In the Central Belt, meanwhile, some farmers are only now just starting to harvest winter barley.

‘It will be cooler in Scotland’