If the cool weather is getting you down, then you’d better just get used to it. Scotland is heading for its coldest summer since 1972.

Gales and more rain are expected this month and, to make matters worse, England is enjoying temperatures higher than Brazil with the mercury likely to hit 28C early next week.

The average temperature in Scotland over the last two months was 11.41C, 1.2C below the 12.6C full summer average – if it fell below 11.39C it would be the coldest summer since the Bay City Rollers were strutting their stuff.

The coldest ever summer was in 1922, with an average temperature of 10.6C.

STV weather presenter Sean Batty said the longer range forecast doesn’t look promising.

Some businesses can expect to be adversely affected. Soft drinks companies such as AG Barr, maker of Irn-Bru, get an uplift from hot summers. Farmers producing fruit crops will also struggle this year.

Summer fashions, barbecue and outdoor garden furniture are being marked down as unsold stocks are left lying in stores and warehouses.

Marks & Spencer boss Marc Bolland is not averse to blaming unseasonal weather for a decline in sales of his fashion ranges and the rain in Scotland could provide the perfect excuse if they suffer another slump.

Already doubts have been cast over the reliability of official statistics, which are being investigated by former Bank of England deputy governor Charles Bean. Retail sales figures for this period are bound to be skewed by the contrasting weather conditions. But will the rain and wind in Scotland be factored into the calculations?