THE British weather has always been unpredictable. One day it's raining, the next sunny. But the past few months have taken this to new levels.

It's supposed to be the middle of summer. Yet the temperature and conditions change almost by the hour. From rain, hail and thunder and lightning to warm sunshine - and back again.

For most of us, the failure of summer to materialise in any real sense is disappointing, depressing even.

For Southend seafront traders, gloomy weather has a more tangible effect - it hits their businesses.

After such a poor start, the coming weeks will be critical, a time to go flat-out to make up for lost revenues.

Roger Fisher, of Southend Seafront Illuminations and Business Association, says commercial gains over the unusually hot Easter period and sunny April were cancelled out by poor weather ever since.

"The buoyant and positive mood following Easter, which had really good weather, has significantly changed through May and June," he said.

"All the progress we made in April has been wiped out.

"The summer holidays are going to be absolutely critical for most businesses."

Mr Fisher owns Doodah's take-away in Marine Parade. He stresses the extent to which seafront businesses rely on good weather.

"We've had consistently poor weather for the past two months," he explained.

"It's a shame. The season got off to a good start. At the end of the day, we all rely on good weather bringing people out. We are nowhere near the level of business we should have experienced."

Those rain clouds may, however, have supplied a silver lining for another area of the local economy...

Figures suggest retail sales got a surprise boost in June, with wet weather and early sales encouraging shoppers on to high streets.

Retail sales were up 3 per cent last month - well ahead of the May figure - with department stores seeing many more shoppers, according to the British Retail Consortium.

Garden centres and DIY stores fared less well, as consumers went bargain-hunting for homewares and textiles in early clearance sales, say retailers.

Dawn Jeakings, manager of the Royals Shopping Centre in Southend, said the centre had seen a five per cent increase in the numbers in its shops, compared to last year.

"With the centre's redevelopment, it is very good in today's economic climate," he added.

However, Chris Eells, manager of Damart ladies' fashion shop in High Street, said: "Sales have been down a little bit, as you would expect it to be. The weather does put people off "Still, we've just started our sale and have had quite a good response.

"We normally sell lots of shoes and summery clothes, but who is going to buy those things in this weather, unless they are going away?

"In two or three weeks, we will be getting our autumn season stock in - and we've hardly had a summer.

"As climate changes, businesses don't change the times their seasons start and end.

"That's is something that might have to look at in the future."