- The Met Office presented its forecast for Summer 2008 at a news briefing at the Science Media Centre on Thursday 3 April.
Download news briefing presentation (PDF, 1.9 Mb)
- The summer of 2007 was exceptional with extreme rainfall and flooding on a scale not seen in living memory. Many people are still living with the consequences of the severe weather of Summer 2007.
- The graphic shows the probability of getting certain conditions in a season. The climate (blue line) shows what you might expect in an average year.
- Summer 2008 sees the probability distribution for temperature and rainfall pushed a little to the right, or to above average.
- However, the likelihood of seeing extreme above average temperatures or rainfall remains a very low probability.
Download probability curve graphic (GIF file, 37 Kb)
- The forecast for the summer suggests a 'typical British summer'.
- Across the UK we expect temperatures to be warmer than average and rainfall will be near or above average.
- The graphic shows areas where there is greater probability of wetter than average conditions (green) and drier than average conditions (orange).
- Despite a slightly wetter than average summer across the UK, the risk of exceptional rainfall on the same scale as the summer of 2007 remains a very low probability.
Download probability map graphic (GIF file, 66 Kb)
News release - A typical British summer
