An amateur meteorologist has been taking daily weather records in his back garden for more than six decades - and says it is handy for knowing when to put the washing out.

Jim Lawson, 80, began keeping hand-written records as a 14-year-old schoolboy in 1958 when encouraged by his mother.

Since then, he has kept old-school, paper records and each day notes the max temperature, rainfall amount, relative humidity, and air pressure.

Armed with thermometers, barometers, hygrometers, and a Met Office standard rain gauge,

he religiously takes the readings at 10 am, 2 pm, and 8 pm each day.

The lowest temperature Jim ever recorded was back in January 1963, when the mercury plunged to a bone-rattling -17C.

The highest was 13 years later, in the 1976 heatwave, when Jim recorded temperatures in excess of 33C.

Over the years, Jim says, he has seen some weather patterns changing - with years now wetter than they used to be.

He said: "We do seem generally to be getting wetter years now, but it's not always the case."

"It's somewhat wetter. Instead of 900cm, we're now getting a metre of rain a year here."

"Generally, not always, the first frost of winter and the last frost of winter seem to be getting relatively later and earlier, but it's not always the case."

His wife of 53 years, Margaret, 74, swears by his daily readings—saying they're spot on for knowing when to hang the washing out.

The retired granddad-of-six, who lives in Preston, Lancs., refused to make any long-term weather predictions, but did say he expects the weather will stay dry for the rest of the week.

The weather-obsessive former town planner watches the forecast on TV every day - and says that a couple of times a year, the professionals' predictions don't match up to his own.

He added: "Whether they're right or I'm right, I can't really remember. "

"Short-term weather forecasting was always reasonably good, but it's now to a much higher standard, so it's rarely wrong."

"Just occasionally, now and again, I do find what I think will happen doesn't, but it's rare."

His worried mum, Izabelle, encouraged the hobby in the hopes he could serve as a meterologist were war to break out, preventing him from being sent to the front lines.

Jim said: "I found the standard of maths that was needed, I was not coping well in that area. I knew it wasn't for me."

"My interest was going to have to be a hobby rather than an actual career."

The weather-buff, who sent his readings to the Met Office for over 40 years, was even awarded a vase by the weather agency to commemorate his service.

Unfortunately, he had to stop giving his readings to the weather agency eight years ago, when he and Margaret downsized to a semi-detached bungalow, with the garden 'too sheltered' by trees to meet the agency's high standards.

Because of this, not many of Jim's friends know about his hobby, as he doesn't want to draw attention to the fact that his readings are not up to Met Office standards.

The retiree's ideal weather conditions are 'above 20, with a pleasant southwest breeze' - conditions which are not too common around the north west.

Jim added: "It's an interest, and it helps to keep my mind young, it keeps the old grey matter going, and I'm grateful enough for it for that."

"It's one very good reason, while I'm still fit enough, to continue doing it."