Meteorologists predict warmer summer, no floods

London: This summer in Britain is expected to be warmer and perhaps slightly wetter than average but with little chance of a repeat of last year's devastating floods, the Met Office said yesterday.

"It looks like being a typical British summer," a spokesman said.

"The risk of exceptional rainfall on the same scale as the summer of last year remains a very low probability," he added.

Large swathes of western and northern England were inundated last summer by the worst floods in 60 years, which caused some £3 billion worth of damage.

Insurers warned they might not be able to provide cover in flood-prone areas unless defences are strengthened.

Head of Forecasting at the Met Office, Brian Golding, said: "Seasonal forecasting is a difficult thing to do and this places some limitations on our forecasts."

The long range prediction comes as forecasters are warning that a return to wintry weather is likely this weekend with snow sleet and hail all expected in northern areas on Sunday.