JULY was a month of hot sunshine, heavy rain and thunder.

As we enter the last month of summer, what does August have in store?

Dorset-based weather enthusiasts have been giving details on how they think the month will pan out. Unfortunately it doesn't sound very promising. 

Here’s what they said:

Bournemouth & Poole Weather said: “I think August could be at times pretty disappointing, certainly the first 10-12 days.

“Often cool and unsettled, showers, spells of rain and little making up for what’s been generally poor summer following on from a very poor late spring.”

On the subject of heatwaves, Bournemouth & Poole Weather said it “extremely premature” to make any such predictions.

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He said: “As we move through the middle of the month, some improvement is likely however how prolonged and how much it warms up is still very open for debate, any take of heatwaves is extremely premature.

“At this stage the end of the month looks highly uncertain with a range of possibilities however it would appear the default pattern of this summer could again return with high pressure well to our southwest and a return to a cool and showery pattern.”

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Dorset Sun said cooler than average temperatures are expected in August with a “showery and cool” start to the month.

He said conditions would probably be drier from mid-month with the highest chance of warmth during the final week of the month.

Dorset Sun said: “August 2021 will start on a similar note to July, but perhaps not quite as unsettled. The weather will be dominated by classic sunshine and showers during the first ten days, but it should generally become drier as we progress through the month. A cooler than average month with no real signs of a proper hot spell, especially early on.

“The jet stream is likely to retreat north as we head through the month, meaning that southern areas may see the best of any unsettled conditions during the middle/second half of August.

He added: “In summary, August is likely to be slightly cooler than average with average rainfall. A fairly wet start likely to be preceded by a drier and calmer second half of the month.”