LAST month was the coolest June in East Lancashire for 10 years, it has been revealed.

And after a week of warm weather at the end of June and beginning of July, experts are predicting a return to cool and wet weather this week, with heaviest rain expected tomorrow and Thursday.

The highest temperature recorded in the area during June was 27 degrees on Monday, June 27, which meant that East Lancashire was warmer than North Africa.

The early part of the much was much cooler with the lowest recorded temperature was six degrees on June 5.

And that means that despite the scorching temperatures at the end of the month the average for the whole period was just 13.7 degrees.

Throughout June there was 83mm of rain, 93 per cent of average.

Roy Chetham, who runs a weather station in Huncoat said: “Although temperatures were only just under average, overall the month was the coolest since 2001.

“The month began and ended dry with high pressure and some warmth but the middle three weeks were wet and unsettled with cool temperatures.”

The rain will be welcome relief to water bosses, who hope reservoir stocks will be boosted.

Currently reservoir levels are below average for this time of year.

Local reservoirs are 68.7 per cent full, according to United Utilities.

On a normal year that level should be 79 per cent. But last year, when a hose pipe ban was put in place, levels were just 56 per cent.

Across the North West, reservoirs are at 83.9 per cent full, compared to a normal of 85.2 per cent.