Harry - summer will be a repeat of 1976

Sale-based guru Harry Kershaw, who uses similarity forecasting and patterns to predict the weather, explained how conditions during the first three months in 2008 mirrored those of 1976.

Harry believes that gales that occurred at the end of January in both 2008 and 1976 are strong indicators of the summer weather to follow.

He said: "Last century 1976 had the best summer. Broadly speaking England and Wales has one in five summers that are very good, the last one in Manchester being 1995. I forecast this summer to fall in the top 10 warmest."

The Met Office confirmed the long hot summer of 1976, which eventually ended in September of that year, was the culmination of a 16-month dry spell - the longest recorded over England and Wales since 1727.

The Met Office said the UK temperature forecast for summer 2008 was a slightly enhanced chance of more frequent cloudy and cool spells compared to recent summers prior to 2007.

Their forecasting methods continued to suggest that rainfall was more likely to be either near, or above average.

Harry has submitted a summer forcast of 2008 based strongly on weather patterns from 1976: May 24 - 31 Cool and showery June in general - A cool wet start, warm, and some showers to June 21 then hot

1 - 6 Cool and showery

7 - 9 Fine and warm

10 -13 Showers and cooler

14 - 17 Fine, warmer

18 - 21 Rain

22 - 30 Very warm and dry - heatwave

July in general - Hot and dry

1 - 7 Hot and dry

8 - 10 Warm, some rain

11 - 15 Hot and dry

16 Thunderstorms

17 - 19 Fine, cooler, some showers around July 19

20 - 26 Hot, possible whirlwinds south coast

27 - 31 Cooler and showeryAugust in general - Mostly hot month

1 - 3 Cool and showery

4 - 26 Hot and dry

27 - 31 Thunderstorms and heavy rain

September in general - Summer ends (2008) on September 8

From September 9 to monthend cool and very wet

1 Rain

2 - 8 Dry and sunny

9 - 15 Cooler and wet

16 - 20 Dry, warmer

21 - 30 Heavy rain