FARMERS in East Lancashire say the changing Weather is affecting livestock, vegetables and crops.

After the warmest March on record, April is tipped to be one of the wettest. And now forecasters say May will see temperatures drop.

Claire Holden, of Winkley Hall Dairy Farm in Stonyhurst, said the dramatic changes in temperature can cause problems for both cattle and crops.

She said: “We would normally be sending the cattle out to graze, but the recent cold snap has stalled the grass growth and the ground is very wet, which can cause further problems with the livestock.

"The changes in temperature can also cause pneumonia, especially for cows.”

Claire said the lambing season had been unaffected this year, but added that the weather can have an effect.

She said: “If it’s too cold or there’s snow on the ground we can't put the lambs and sheep out immediately, which is the healthiest thing to do.

“We also grow maize for the cattle. If it’s going to be cold in May that will delay us putting it out and will shorten the season for us which will affect the crop.”

A spokesman for the National Farmers Union said: “The changing weather is part of farming. It’s a risk factor that ought to be built into everyday farming business. There’s not a great deal we can do about it.”

Independent forecaster WeatherAction warned that next month will be “the coldest, or near coldest for 100 years” in the east.

Forecaster Piers Corbyn said May will bring a “run of bitter northerly winds” with snow at times.

The Met Office believes unsettled conditions are likely to continue through the rest of April.

According to the latest figures, the UK has seen around 60 per cent of its normal April rainfall, or 41.7mm up to the 15 April – 10 per cent higher than normal.

A spokeswoman said: “The start of May looks likely to remain unsettled with a continuation of showers or longer spells of rain, although there should also be some drier and brighter interludes.

“Temperatures will generally be close to or slightly above the seasonal average."

In the first week in May some drier and sunnier weather is expected in southern England, whilst the north looks likely to stay unsettled with further rain at times, particularly across north west England.