So much for summer! The start of July was the coldest in Britain for 20 YEARS, Met Office confirms

Britons were forced to ditch their T-shirts and sunglasses in favour of jumpers and jackets last month, as the UK faced the coldest start to July for 20 years. 

The Met Office has confirmed that temperatures were persistently below average across the UK for the first two weeks of last month. 

And by 15 July, the mean temperature was 2.0°C below average - in what was provisionally the coldest start to July since 2004.

What's more, England faced 19 per cent more rainfall than average last month. 

'The start of July continued June's theme of cooler than average weather, but with the addition of more wet conditions,' Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle explained. 

Overall, July was cooler than average in the UK, with average temperatures of 14.8°C - 0.5°C below the 1991-2020 average. 

While the first two weeks were particularly chilly, temperatures briefly increased in the third week. 

And by the last week of the month,  the highest temperature of the year so far was recorded. 

This was recorded on 30 July, when people in Kew Gardens and Heathrow basked in 32°C sunshine. 

Somewhat unsurprisingly, sunshine hours were also below average last month. 

The UK experienced just 153.7 hours of sunshine - 11 per cent below average - while neither England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales reached their average monthly sunshine.

In terms of rainfall, the UK recorded 82.4mm, which is around average. 

However, England pulled the short straw, recording 79.0mm of rain - 19 per cent higher than average. 

Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, meanwhile, were all slightly drier than average.

'Low pressure across the UK led to unsettled weather at the beginning of the month and several frontal systems brought bands of rain,' Ms Carlisle explained. 

'Areas of southwest, southeast and northeast England had already received more than the average July rainfall by the 15th.'

Unfortunately, things aren't looking much better for August. 

In its long range weather forecast (6 August - 15 August), the Met Office forecasts 'changeable' weather. 

'Much of this period looks likely to be changeable with UK's weather characterised by a broadly westerly type, which means weather mostly of an Atlantic origin,' the Met Office said. 

'Within this, low pressure is perhaps more likely to be situated further to the north, bringing more frequent bouts of rain, showers and perhaps windier weather at times. 

'Conversely, areas further to the south are more likely to see ridges of higher pressure, bringing more in the way of fine, settled weather, though still with the potential for some wetter, thundery or more generally unsettled interludes. 

'As a result of this, some warm weather or perhaps even short-lived hot spells are likely in the south at times, but overall temperatures are likely to be nearer normal in the north.'