WHY has the summer been such a washout? Because we've been getting the Shetland Isles' weather!

WHY has the summer been such a washout? Because we've been getting the Shetland Isles' weather!

Britain has been buffeted by a succession of Atlantic depressions since the beginning of May.

Normally these head north of the British Isles, between Scotland and Iceland, bringing wet weather to the north west of Scotland, the Orkney and Shetlands.

However, during some years these depressions track a few hundred miles south of their normal flow - and that is what has been happening this year.

Evening Star weatherman Ken Blowers said today the problem was when a succession of these depressions followed on from each other.

He said: “No one knows why they start tracking across like this over a summer, but it is something that happens every so often and then we get a poor summer.

“We had three summers in succession like this in 1997, 98, and 99 but since then the weather has behaved itself and we have had pretty good summers.

“No one knows why there were three summers in a row like that a decade ago. I hope it doesn't happen like that again.”

Mr Blowers said this month had seen almost twice the average amount of rainfall for June falling over Suffolk.

He said: “We've had 3.2inches and the average is 1.8ins and it's always possible we'll get a bit more before midnight.

“We've had a lot of wet months this year - but we mustn't forget that April was the driest on record. We only had a little rain on one day throughout the whole month.

“It looks as if there are more depressions heading our way over the next week. They'll be some fine spells but there'll be quite a lot of rain as well.

“I would love to say everything will change, but there's no sign of it yet.”

N Are you hoping for better weather? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk