GLASGOW has suffered one of its wettest Augusts in living memory with only three dry days in the month so far.

GLASGOW has suffered one of its wettest Augusts in living memory with only three dry days in the month so far.

And the soggy summer is making people miserable as the feelgood factor is replaced by the feel worse' effect, an academic claims.

The city has endured more than double the normal August rainfall already with forecasters warning there is more to come before the month ends.

Normally an average of 80mm of rain falls in Glasgow during August but so far this month the city has been drenched by more than 160mm.

A weatherman said today: "To have only three rain-free days in the month is pretty poor but there will be more rain before the weekend and on Saturday night."

The spokesman for weather forecasters Meteogroup said there had been three particularly bad days: August 1, 7 and 10, though he added: "Just about every day in Glasgow has had rain for a spell."

And it is claimed that the constant rain could have a "feel-worse" rather and feelgood effect.

Professor Nanette Mutrie, of Strathclyde University's department of sport, culture and the arts, said the effect was different from seasonal affective disorder, brought on by a lack of daylight.

But she added: "Poor weather conditions put people off doing outdoor activities.

"That will have a negative impact on overall activity levels and can be a link to how people feel.

"Being regularly active is positively linked to feeling good but people whose activity levels are curtailed get what we describe as a feel-worse' effect and their moods drop.

"We encourage them to do a little bit of exercise a day even in rain."

A spokeswoman for the National Farmers Union Scotland said farmers were waiting for a break in the bad weather to try to salvage crops, some of which would be "significantly reduced in quality".

Scotland has been one of the worst-hit regions of the UK this month.

Several homeowners and offices had to be evacuated after flash floods.

But Malcolm Cannon, managing director of Edinburgh-based Wellington bootmaker Hunter Boots said business had been brisk.

He said: "It has been another good year with around 300,000 pairs of wellies sold."