JUST a year ago, the nation was basking in one of the hottest summers on record...

What a comparison to this week. A week when Bolton and most of the country has been battered by torrential rain and storms.

Temperatures have plummeted to levels more associated with January than mid summer.

And weather experts are predicting next week will be no better.

Bolton, they say, should expect more showers, clouds and cool breezes with temperatures reaching a maximum of 17C over the next few days.

Last summer is now just a memory when the UK sizzled in early July.

Bolton was a sea of shorts, vest tops, flip-flops, sunglasses and red faces as temperatures soared to a sweltering 30C. The town centre was awash with workers lazing on the grass catching the midday sun, shoppers taking a break from the heat with lunch al fresco, toddlers struggling to eat their ice-creams before they melted and babies keeping cool in frilly bonnets.

Sun worshippers fought for a spot on the town hall steps, which became a notorious sun-trap and an ideal place to watch the world go by.

This year, the summer so far has been a wash out. Although the start of May looked promising, with several bright sunny days, the weather has taken a turn for the worse.

From January to June last year, there were 894 hours of sunshine. For the same period this year, there have been 729 hours of sun -- a difference of 165 hours.

And while rainfall for January to June this year is 556mm -- -- up 50mm on 2003 -- shops have reported a boom in umbrella sales. And things are not looking good for the remainder of the summer.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: "This is a pattern that is appearing across the country at the moment.

"Bolton actually got off quite lightly where this week's storms are concerned.

"People do want sun at this time of year, but they have to remember that we live in Britain, not the Mediterranean, and the weather here is changeable.

"On the plus side, it is what makes our country so green. Problems following last year's heatwave reminded us that our water systems just can't cope with this sort of weather on a long-term scale.

"There is nothing in the weather pattern at the moment to suggest a seriously prolonged settled spell."

The bed weather does bring good news for some people, as the town's travel agents bustle with disgruntled Brits booking last-minute holidays to the sun.

Andrew Dickson, owner of St Andrews Travel, Bolton : "A combination of England going out of the European Cup, Tim Henman getting knocked out of Wimbledon and the bad weather has led to the busiest couple of weeks in months.

"There are thousands of last-minute deals to suit all tastes and we expect an even bigger rush as the schools break up."