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Weather forecasters sticking with Maritime summer prediction

Weather forecasters at Environment Canada are feeling a bit sheepish these days, after predicting P.E.I. would have a hot, dry summer.

It's been predominantly cloudy and rainy for almost two weeks.

David Phillips, Environment Canada's senior climatologist, last month predicted slightly warmer temperatures on the Island for July through September.

Clearly, that did not happen in July.

"When I look at the numbers for Charlottetown, the last 10 days have been absolutely miserable," said Phillips.

The average temperature in Charlottetown has been just over 19C, about five degrees below normal.

The weather in Atlantic Canada is difficult to predict, said Phillips. Sometimes systems don't move as expected.

"We saw a blocking situation over parts of the North Atlantic, just sort of almost as a stop sign," said Phillips.

"All the weather that kind of moves through, well just got stopped up like jumbo jets on the airport tarmac, and wouldn't move."

Despite somewhat missing the mark with his July forecast, Phillips has no qualms about predicting warmer and drier weather will come in August, starting with this coming long weekend.