“DON’T despair if May is cold because the coming summer will be warm”.

That’s the promise made by Sale’s amateur meteorologist.

Harry Kershaw, who uses records dating back 300 years to predict weather patterns, said that the next few months’ weather would follow that of 1996.

Harry said: “The weather in May will be awful and unusually cold but then it will pick up for a nice summer, with good conditions taking us through as late as October. April this year followed the same patterns as April in 1996 with bad weather at the end of the month.”

Harry added that this summer would be within the top 20 hottest since 1900 and that less than average rainfall in Greater Manchester between December 2008 and February 2009 pointed to a warm summer.

The forecaster said it was too early to comment about winter but noted that May 1962 was a cold month with snow flurries during the first week and that the following winter was the coldest of the century.

The Met Office’s summer forecast will be released today.

Harry’s summer predictions: May - An unusually cold month, that could be the fourth coldest since May 1902. Wintry showers and ground frost in the first half and wet and windy in the second.

1 - 3 Rain and cold wintry showers, sleet on hills.

4 - 8 Fine, cold, night frosts.

9 - 11 Wintry showers.

12 - 18 Fine, cool, night frosts.

19 - 20 Cool, heavy rain, gusty winds, sleet on hills.

21 - 27 More mild but heavy rain and strong winds.

28 - 31 Showery and windy but much warmer.

June - Sunny and warm but chance of heavy thunder showers.

1 - 3 Cool and showery.

4 - 8 Much warmer and drier. Thunder possible.

6 - 7 Temperatures up to 26 degrees Celsius (80 Fahrenheit).

9 - 18 Warm and sunny up to 23 degrees Celsius (73 Fahrenheit).

19 - 22 Warm with some thunder and rain.

23 - 27 Dry, warm and sunny.

28 - 30 Cooler, wet and windy at 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit).

July - After the first week dry, warm and sunny.

1 - 8 Cool, wet and windy.

9 - 22 Warm and sunny up tp 27 degrees Celsius (80 Fahrenheit).

23 - 24 Rain and thunder at 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit).

25 - 27 Fine and warm.

28 - 31 Warm, rain and thunder.

August - First three weeks warm and sunny. The last week more cool and very wet.

1 - 5 Fine and very warm at 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit).

6 - 12 Warm and wet, possible thunderstorms.

13 - 21 Fine, hot and sunny building to 27 degrees Celsius (81 Fahrenheit).

22 - 23 Heavy rain and thunder.

24 - 29 Cooler, wet and very windy with possible flooding in some areas.

30 - 31 Dry and cool, less windy, some fog.

September - Sunny, dry and warm for three weeks, last week wet and windy.

1 - 7 Warm and sunny, fodg during the early hours.

8 - 10 Fine, cooler, cloudy and some fog.

11 - 12 Showers.

13 -23 Warm and sunny, cool at night.

24 - 30 Wet and windy.

October - Warmer than average, rainfalll above average, strong winds at the end of the month.

What do you think of Harry's predictions? Leave your comments below.