HARRY Kershaw is sticking his neck out with a weather forecast that is going against the opinions of some of the country's leading professionals.

While the Met Office is predicting a summer that will see above average temperatures - with a one in eight chance of highs matching those of 2003 and 2006 - Sale's amateur weatherman predicts the reality will be far less spectacular.

He claims the season will be more comparable with 1974 than earlier this century and will fall well into the average summer' category.

Debunking the global warming theory he instead opts for longer-term cyclical patterns, which leads him away from the belief that we are in for another sizzler.

Summer, according to Harry, will be fairly unpredictable with the occasional warm patch, most notably the end of July and beginning of August.

So here's how the next few months could pan out.

May - very variable, wet and fine periods alternating.

3-9 fine 10-15 wet, gales and thunder 16-17 fine 18-20 showery 21 fine 22-23 wet, windy and thunder 24-29 fine 30 wet 31 fine June - unsettled, mid month above average temperatures. Rainfall below average 1-3 fine 4-5 wet 8-12 wet with thunder 13-18 warm and sunny 19-21 rain and thunder 22-27 fine and warm 28-30 fine but cooler July - unsettled, rainfall above average, temperatures and sunshine below average 1-2 fine 3-8 wet 9-11 fine 12 wet 13-16 fine 17-18 rain and thunder 19-20 fine 21-22 wet 23-31 fine and warm August - cooler temperatures slightly below average. Rainfall below average 1-10 fine 11-18 rain with thunder 19-22 fine 23-28 wet with localised high wind systems eg small tornadoes 29-31 fine September - temperatures below average, rainfall above average. A windy month with frequent gales 1-3 wet 4-10 wet with frequent gales 11-16 fine 17-19 wet with gales 20 fine 21-29 wet and windy 30 calmer and colder with ground frost