After the driest April ever ... the wettest May

Even before the final three drizzly days of the month were factored in, some areas had received twice their average rainfall.

The conditions were in stark contrast to April, which was the driest and warmest since records began in 1914.

In terms of soakings, East Anglia was the biggest record-breaker - with 4.3in of rain compared to a monthly average of 1.8in.

The South of England experienced the wettest May since 1967 with 4.5in of precipitation, while central England had 4.2in, nearly twice the monthly average.

The North-East, Scotland and Northern Ireland also had higher than average rainfall.

On Monday, St Catherine's Point on the Isle of Wight was the wettest place in the UK, with 2.1in dumped in just 24 hours.

Temperatures, too were a little on the extreme side in May. While much of the country enjoyed 26c (79f) days last week, the weather took a chilly turn on Sunday.

Thousands had to cut short their Bank Holiday weekend when particularly arctic winds blew in on Monday.

June is yet to deliver any better news. The weekend is expected to remain unsettled, with rain and showers across most of the country.

However, sunseekers can take heart in the fact that it is forecast to be a "fairly warm" month, with at least 'average sunshine', according to meteorologists.

"We still believe it will be a warm summer, and certainly warmer than the 1971 to 2000 average," said Met Office spokesman Barry Gromett.

"There is a one in six chance of the overall summer being as hot as the previous hot summers of 2006 and 2003.

"What we don't expect is the same number of exceptionally hot spells or periods of extreme heat."

The summer of 2003 saw the hottest temperature recorded in England since 1878 - 38.5c (101f) in Faversham, Kent, on August 10.

In 2006, the highest temperature recorded was 36.5c (98f) in Wisley, Surrey, on July 19.

Over on the Continent, the weather remains highly unpredictable.

The heatwave in Russia continued, with high temperatures of 32c (90f), but forecasters expect it to cool slightly over the weekend.

The extreme conditions in parts of Europe - including Bavaria, France and Germany which have seen unseasonably heavy snow and flash flooding - are also abating.