UK weather: why has it been so cold and when will it get warmer?

June is supposed to be the first month of summer, but it hasn’t really felt like it.

In the first couple of weeks, temperatures have generally been around 1-3C below average but cloud, rain and a brisk wind have made it feel colder.

Conversely, with the strong June sunshine at times, it may have also felt a bit warmer.

With a chilly northerly wind through much of the week ahead, temperatures will stay on the lower side of normal.

The week has started on a rather wet and disappointing note, with a strong northerly wind in East Anglia, some heavy rain across eastern England and scattered showers elsewhere.

With Monday’s maximum temperatures around 10 to 14C in northern and eastern areas of the UK, it will feel more like early April than June.

Elsewhere, temperatures may reach 15 to 17C but that is still a good three to five degrees colder than it should be for mid-June.

There won’t be much change to these temperatures throughout the week.

The only time it might feel warmer is if you are out of the wind and in some sunshine.

With the summer solstice on 20 June, the Sun is very strong and you will feel that on your skin.