´óÏó´«Ã½

Well first of all thanks for all your comments on my previous blog post. It's good to know that a lot of people are passionate about nature and the weather, and also what's happening across the country.

Last night, as expected, turned quite cold with some ground frost and even some air frost. In Tirabad in Powys the temperature fell to minus 4 Celsius, 25 Fahrenheit. But with clear skies and strong sunshine today temperatures have shot up reaching 17 Celsius, 63 Fahrenheit this afternoon.

Tonight will continue dry. Not as cold as last night but chilly enough in places for a ground frost where skies stay clear, eg in Gwynedd and Ceredigion.

Tomorrow will bring a change. Some bright or sunny intervals are likely but generally it will be cloudier than today with less sunshine. A few showers will break out too later in the morning and during the afternoon and if you catch one it could be heavy with thunder.

Having said that, the showers will be hit and miss so if you're having a street party you may be lucky and stay dry. Top temperatures in the range 14 to 17 Celsius with a light to moderate north-easterly breeze.

If you're looking for something to do tomorrow, the first Great Tregaron Walking Weekend begins. There's more information on the website:

Over the bank holiday weekend, the wind is going to be a feature. Brisk and gusty, blowing from the east or north east. Strong to gale force on high ground making it feel chilly so if you are going walking in the hills and mountains go prepared.

In the south there is a risk of some showery rain at times, which could be heavy in places with thunder possible. Mid Wales and the north should stay dry and here the best of the sunshine. Highest temperatures 16 to 19 Celsius.

Finally, here's a photo taken this morning by Mike Barrell, of the Wye Valley and Radnor Hills.

Wye Valley and Radnor Hills. Photo: Mike Barrell

The bluebells are out early in Wales this spring and so too are the ash trees. They have burst into leaf early this year beating the oak, which is unusual. The last time this happened was in 1953 according to the .

Normally the oak and does much better in drier conditions.

Some people think that the race between the ash and oak can help predict the following summer. And there's an old rhyme:

Oak before the ash, we're in for a summer splash.
Ash before the oak we're in for a soak

The Welsh equivalent to the English rhyme is:

Os deilia'r derw o flaen yr ynn
Tywydd sych a gawn 'r ol hyn
Os deilia'r ynn o flaen y derw
Drwy'r haf fe fydd yn bwrw!

Thanks to Twm Elias from Plas Tan y Bwlch in Snowdonia for the above.

So could we be in for a wet summer this year? Possibly but not necessarily. There is no scientific evidence to support the rhyme and it has been wrong in the past!

We'll just have to wait and see and hope the summer is more of a splash with high pressure from the Azores bringing us spells of fine and warm weather.

Victoria Park in Canton, Cardiff. Photo: Phil England

In the shorter term, tonight will be dry but turning chilly. Temperatures inland falling close to freezing, especially in the countryside and rural areas, with some ground frost. So if you have any tender plants in the garden it might be an idea to cover them up or bring them indoors.

Tomorrow will start cool but soon warm-up with plenty of sunshine and it will stay dry. Top temperatures 15 to 18 Celsius. Cooler on some coasts with a breeze off the sea, nearer 12 Celsius in Fishguard and Prestatyn.

We were blessed with some beautiful weather over the Easter Holiday weekend. Yesterday Anglesey enjoyed nearly 13 hours of sunshine, while Pembrey in Carmarthenshire recorded a high of 20 Celsius, 68 Fahrenheit.

Mind you, there were differences in the weather from day to day and from place to place. Last Saturday a few scattered showers and thunderstorms broke out.

Janet Pritchard from Blaenavon sent in these photos which show how heavy the rain was and her garden covered in hail.

Blaenavon weather. Photo: Janet Pritchard

No more thunderstorms are expected over the next few days but it will be cooler than recently with east to north-easterly winds, some ground frost is likely too, especially tomorrow night under clear skies.

The forecast for the Royal Wedding is keeping us on our toes, and if you're planning a street party an umbrella may come in handy. At the moment, a lot of cloud is likely with a risk of showers which could be heavy.

However, the latest charts suggest it won't be a total right off; some dry spells are likely and hopefully it will brighten-up with a little sunshine. Highest temperatures on Friday 14 to 17 Celsius with a light to moderate east to north-easterly breeze.

The Mumbles Coastguard station is a great place to keep an eye on the weather and on a clear day you can see for miles along the coast and across the Bristol Channel towards Ilfracombe in Devon.

There is an automatic weather station there, one of many dotted around the country. It takes measurements of temperature, wind speed, wind direction and rainfall.

The data is then sent electronically to the Met Office in Exeter and the information from .

There's more warm weather to come over the Easter weekend with some sunny spells but also some cloud and a risk of a showers which could be heavy with thunder. The showers, though, will be hit and miss, so a fair number of places will stay dry.

Temperatures will rise into the low 20's Celsius but some coasts will be cooler, especially in the north and west where temperatures will be lower on Sunday and Monday with a breeze off the sea.

At the moment Bank Holiday Monday looks cloudier and breezier. Temperatures on Monday 18 to 20 Celsius in the south and 13 to 17 in the north.

Derek

Yesterday Porthmadog in Gwynedd was officially the warmest place in Wales with a top temperature of 22 Celsius, 72 Fahrenheit. The average for this time of year is around 12 Celsius, 54 Fahrenheit.

Clearer skies at night however have brought chilly temperatures at night. Last night at Hawarden in Flintshire and Tirabad in Powys the temperature fell to 1 Celsius, 34 Fahrenheit with a ground frost.

Big temperature differences between day and night are typical during the spring months and ground frost can be lethal for tender, young plants.

I know some gardeners, farmers and allotment holders wouldn't mind a drop of rain. March was the driest in Wales since 1961 and April is going the same way.

So far this month we've only had 24mm of rain across the country and some places have had less than this. The average rainfall for the whole of April is 86mm, just over 3 inches and there's no sign of any significant rain on the horizon...

This fabulous sunset was captured by Chris Aylward at Rhossilli beach on Gower on 10 April.

The odd heavy shower is possible over the next few days but they will be very hit and miss with a lot of places staying dry.

Temperatures are set to rise further - well into the low to mid 20's Celsius, 72 to 75 Fahrenheit in Wales.In fact it's likely to be warmer here than in Spain and Greece over the Easter holiday weekend!

It may only be April but the sun is strong enough to burn with rising UV levels and eyes will be itching as high levels of tree pollen are forecast too.

The taste of summer is set to continue next week and more fine and warm weather is expected but it's too early to say if it will last in time for the Royal Wedding on 29 April.

I should have an idea of what the weather will do for Prince William and Kate's big day on Monday.

In the meantime, enjoy the sunshine if you can.

Well, I hope you all had a good weekend. I went for a 5 mile walk on Saturday from Cefn Onn Park in Cardiff.

The walk is varied, passing through woodland and from the top of the ridge there are wonderful views of the city and Caerphilly and we could even see the two Severn bridges.

Given the weather was dry I was surprised how quiet it was, especially Cefn Onn Park which is well worth a visit.

Yesterday I got my bike out for the first time this year and did a 20 mile ride in the Vale of Glamorgan! The weather was gorgeous and it was great fun riding through the country lanes.

There was hardly a car in sight but we had to watch out for pot holes. We passed through some beautiful villages too, like Welsh St. Donats, Llanblethian and Siginstone where we stopped for a pub lunch before heading back home.

Lesser black-backed gull at Conwy RSPB stealing a large, canada goose's egg. Image by Ashley Cohen

It will also get warmer with winds from the Meditterranean. Temperatures will rise into the low 20's Celsius, 68 to 73 Fahnrenheit and well above the April average of 12 Celsius. Although some coasts will be cooler with onshore sea breezes.

The weather over Easter can often be chilly with snow but not this year. Next weekend will continue to be warm. A few showers are possible on Saturday but otherwise it's looking fine and dry with more sunshine so ideal for any outdoor plans you may have!

Derek

No, it's not a tongue twister, it's an of some of our lesser known species here in Britain - newts.

The information you provide will be used to create a newt map of Britain and help with newt conservation in our gardens.

Many garden ponds have them, especially palmate and smooth newts but you'll rarely get to see them unless you sit still and wait for them to surface for air every now and again. You can .

If you want to find out more about pond dipping then take a look at the .

A smooth newt by Joy.

I remember going fishing when I was about 10 years old in Bosheston Quarry when it was still open to the public.

I always wanted to catch one of the gigantic carp that lived in there but didn't catch a single fish. Instead, I kept pulling up smooth newts, which were hanging on to the worms I was using as bait!

You can find out more about great crested newts, our rarest species of newt in Wales on our nature & outdoors website.

Hope you find some,

Gull

Yesterday was more like autumn than spring with some rain. Strong to gale force winds in the northwest and chilly. Temperatures only reached seven to 11 Celsius which is below average for this time of year.

Llyn Tegid, Bala by Ray Hind

Thankfully it's feeling warmer today with lighter winds. Temperatures 10 to 14 Celsius this afternoon.

Looking ahead to the weekend, high pressure is going to take control with settling things down. There is a chance of a shower, especially on Saturday, otherwise dry. The cloud breaking with some sunshine. Sunday looks the best day of the weekend, sunnier and warmer; highest temperatures 17 to 20 Celsius although some coasts will be cooler with sea breezes.

Next week looks set to bring more fine and warm weather. However, a breeze will develop and I wouldn't rule out a few showers breaking out. It's too early to predict what will happen over the Easter weekend but there is a hint that we could be in for some good weather - I will keep you posted.

Derek

Yesterday I was in Llanberis and took the steam train to the top of Snowdon. The café on the summit, Hafod Eryri, is opening much earlier than usual this year because of a lack of snow!

The weather on Snowdon is notoriously changeable and sometimes severe with hurricane force winds, blizzards and plenty of rain. 5000mm, 200 inches or 16 feet of rain falls on average every year and snow can lie on the summit until early summer.

This time last year there were still snowdrifts on the top and conditions were even more extreme last December which was the coldest December for at least 100 years.

Snow and ice prevents trains from travelling to the summit until May. However, the summit has been relatively free of snow since last Christmas and so they are hoping to be able to open the café next weekend.

This will be only the third time since 1950 that the Snowdon Summit Visitor Centre will be open in time for Easter!

We've had some great walking weather recently. Last weekend was the warmest of the year so far with temperatures in Porthmadog soaring to 22 Celsius, 72 Fahrenheit. The average maximum temperature for April is about 12 Celsius.

But since then it has turned much cooler. We've all enjoyed some fine weather and sunshine today but it's all change tomorrow when a trough of low pressure looks set to bring us more cloud, some rain and hill fog as well. It will also be breezy on high ground and on exposed coasts in the west and cold with temperatures only reaching 8 or 9 Celsius.

Thursday and Friday will be drier. A few spots of light rain or drizzle are likely in places, the odd afternoon shower.

Plenty of cloud but the sun should break through in places and it will feel a little warmer with lighter winds.

Well what a beautiful day - much of Wales basking in sunshine, but it hasn't been clear and sunny everywhere!

Cardigan Bay and Caernarfon Bay have been full of mist and sea fog keeping things cool.

Temperatures this afternoon only 10 Celsius at Aberdaron compared to 20 Celsius in Cardiff and Tirabad in Powys.

Over the weekend, there's plenty more fine weather and sunshine to come. The sunshine turning hazy as high clouds invade the sky.

The cloud may grow thick enough on Sunday to produce the odd light shower but most of the country should stay dry.

Tomorrow looks like being the warmest day of the year so far for most of Wales with temperatures rising to 19 or 20 Celsius and with a south-easterly breeze it will be much warmer than today along the north and west coast with a wind off the land.

It may only be April but sun is strong enough to burn so remember the suncream, factor 15 or higher is best, and if you're suffering from hayfever, moderate to high levels of tree pollen are expected over the weekend. So keep away from any birch trees.

Last month was the driest March in Wales since 1961, next week will turn cooler with wind and rain expected by Wednesday.

So enjoy the fine and warm weather over the weekend if you can.

Derek

Yesterday Velindre near Glasbury in Powys was the warmest place in Wales with a top temperature of 21 Celsius, 70 Fahrenheit making it the warmest day of the year so far in that location.

The sunniest place was Aberporth on the Ceredigion coast with nearly 11 hours of sunshine but it's a different story today!

Parts of the south and east are sunny but in the north and west its cloudy with some mist, even a few spots of light rain and drizzle. Cooler too, temperatures only 12 Celsius on Anglesey, compared to 17 in Newbridge on Wye and in Cardiff.

The cloud over Wales shows up nicely on the satellite picture at 2pm today:

Ìý

Parts of the north and west may start grey and misty although most of this should burn back to the coast.

As for the weekend, Saturday looks the the best day - fine and warm hazy sunshine with highs of 20 Celsius in the north with a south-easterly breeze. Cooler on the coast where the wind is off the sea so nearer 15 Celsius in Tenby.

Sunday won't be so nice with more cloud, less sunshine and cooler too. A little rain in places but I can promise some dry weather as well. Temperatures 13 to 16 Celsius with a light to moderate westerly breeze.

By the way, the starts in Cardiff tomorrow at Bute Park. The weather
will be blooming marvellous but not quite so good for the last day of the show on Sunday.

Bodnant Gardens have been in touch to promote a series of new walks around the gardens this month:

Breakfast Walk

Early risers prepare to witness the splendour of the Garden in the early morning light on Tuesday, 12 April at 7.15am. It will be rounded off with a hearty breakfast in the Pavilion tea-room - enough to wake up even those who find mornings difficult.

Plants of Interest

The Plants of Interest walk on Thursday, 21 April at 1pm is one which is sure to grow on any gardener. You will get to talk, see and learn all about special plants of interest to be enjoyed this month.

Special Interest Walk 'Principles of Garden Design'

Do you ever look at a garden and think "how on earth did they do that?" The Special Interest walk on Friday, 29 April at 1pm will allow you to hear how great gardens are designed, and even grab some ideas to develop your own garden.

It's been a bit dreary today - dull, damp and breezy with low cloud, mist and hill fog.

However some people are probably glad to see the rain as last month was the driest March in Wales since 1961!

Most of the rain in Wales falls on the mountains and in the last 24 hours Capel Curig in Snowdonia has had over 50mm, 2 inches, but on the north coast and in Flintshire, in the rain-shadow, there has hardly been any.

On Wednesday, the weather is set to improve with drier and warmer air moving northwards from France.

The day will start grey with some low cloud and drizzle in parts of the west and northwest but most of Wales should brighten-up with a good deal of sunshine.

However, low cloud and drizzle may return to Anglesey, Gwynedd and Pembrokeshire by mid to late afternoon.

Top temperatures 18 or 19 Celsius with a south to south-westerly breeze but cooler on the coast where the wind is off the sea. The wind will be strong in the northwest with gusts of around 45 mph on Anglesey.

On Thursday a weak cold front will move south through Wales so it will cloud over for a time with a few spots of drizzle.

Beyond that high pressure in the Atlantic is going to take control, moving across Britain.

So, the outlook for Friday and Saturday is very promising with fine, settled weather and plenty of sunshine!

It will also be warming-up too, so ideal for a BBQ but if you're a gardener it will turn cool overnight with a touch of ground frost inland.

Exciting news flew in at the Glaslyn Osprey sight at the weekend, the female osprey laid her first egg on Saturday, April 2nd. The spotting was confirmed at 11.40 AM the same morning.

Compared to some previous years, the spotting came almost a month early, making it the earliest osprey egg to be laid on record.

Geraint Williams, Osprey Project Officer said: "The ospreys have certainly been keeping us on our toes this year. First the early return of the male, then the surprise of the first egg being laid at a much earlier date than normal."

"Spirits are high at the site and we are all eager to witness what is next for the osprey pair."

Each egg will be incubated for around 37 days, which means hatching should occur at the start of May.

Since 2005 the success of the only pair of breeding ospreys has been witnessed by staff and volunteers and thousands of well-wishers visiting the RSPB Cymru viewing centre at Pont Croesor near Porthmadog.

The Glaslyn Osprey viewing scheme is open to the public every day from 10 am until 6 pm until the end of August and is free of charge.

Visitors to the site are able to watch the birds via the live nest cam images beamed straight from the nest to a large screen in the centre.

It's all change again on the weather front today. Cloudier and windier with some rain and drizzle. Strong to gale force south-westerly winds as well with gusts over 60mph in Snowdonia.

Tomorrow will bring more wind and rain. The rain heaviest on the high ground in the north west with 50mm, 2 inches, possible on the upslopes in Snowdonia with only 1 or 2mm in Flintshire in the rain shadow.

Met Office pressure chart for Friday

Beyond that, the weather is set to improve. High pressure in the Atlantic will pay us a visit from Thursday and into the weekend. That will settle the weather down quite nicely bringing fine conditions, light winds and lots of sunshine.

It will also become warmer with top temperatures 17 to 20 Celsius - so it might be time to dust down the BBQ with an early taste of summer on its way later this week.

I had an e-mail from a fisherman the other day who wanted to know where he could get the latest sea temperatures for the Bristol Channel.

The sea temperature at Porthcawl can be found via the 'Scarweather Banks' wave buoy supplied by .

It's currently reading 8.35 degrees Celsius. It's a little warmer off Pembrokeshire currently at around 9 degrees Celsius thanks to the Gulf Stream current.

The Bristol Channel has the second highest tidal range in the world. This huge body of water is 28 miles wide in the west but narrows to less than 6 miles by the time it reaches Clevedon.

It's influence however is more than just tidal - It is what makes the weather in this part of the world unique.

Views over Cardiff, Penarth and the Bristol Channel by Nick Russill

Air moves faster over the sea than over the land because there is less friction. The wind is also funnelled between Exmoor on one side, and the Welsh Mountains on the other.

When the winds are blowing from the south west it can be very windy and that's why there are wind barriers in place on the Second Severn Crossing.

The Bristol Channel is a pretty big source of moisture, so south-westerly winds can often bring low cloud, mist and drizzle.

Sometimes it can be cool and damp on the coast with tropical maritime air but as that air moves inland and passes over the hills it dries out leaving some inland areas warm and sunny.

In the summer, head to the coast if you don't like the heat because sea breezes will keep things cooler and clear while inland, if conditions are right, cloud can develop as temperatures rise with a risk of showers and thunderstorms.

The higher specific heat of sea water means it is slow to heat up, but equally reluctant to cool down. If you've ever swum in the sea at Barry Island or Porthcawl you probably think it is chilly most of the time.

In winter, water temperatures can be as low as 5 degrees Celsius but gradually warm up through the summer. The best time to go for a swim is at the end of summer when sea temperatures are around 16 Celsius.

The water in the Bristol Channel is actually a degree or two warmer in summer than off the Pembrokeshire coast, but cooler during the winter months.

Derek Brockway

For years now, water companies have been using combined sewer overflow (CSO's) pipes to discharge untreated sewage into the sea during periods of heavy rain and flooding to relieve pressure on the Victorian sewage system we all still rely on.

highlighted the issue of CSO's around our coast back in September 2009 and 12 UK water companies responded saying they have a total of 20,233 CSOs between them in England and Wales.

These CSO's can be discharged at any time with no warning - something Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) have been campaigning against for a long time.

Things now look set to improve as the Environment Agency launches new as well as a to check water quality.

These beach profiles will highlight what forms of pollution each beach suffers from and identifies the sewage discharge points and locations of combined sewage overflows.

A new warning system will involve swimmers signing up for a free text message service that notifies them of overflows.

Details will also be published on websites run by Surfers Against Sewage and Welsh Water and red flags will be displayed on beaches for 24 hours with notices posted up at beach entrances.

The advises bathers not to swim for at least 24 hours after very heavy rainfall.

is among the first three water companies to use the system and beaches at Broad Haven, Newgale and Manorbier in Pembrokeshire will be the first in Wales to adopt the new warning procedure.

SAS Campaign director, Andy Cummins said: "'We've been working with Pembrokeshire council, Welsh Water and the Environment Agency Wales, and the conversations have been extremely positive."

"The water companies have no duty to take part in this scheme so Welsh Water should be praised for its brilliant attitude."

A revised will come into force in 2015 which aims to set more stringent water quality standards and also puts a stronger emphasis on beach management and public information.