大象传媒

A few pics from our Flickr group that have caught my eye this week....

First up this dreamy landscape shot by Ian Dyer taken at Blaen y Glyn Falls in the Brecon Beacons. Blaen-y-Glyn has a popular walking trail which also takes in Caerfanell Falls, Nant Bwrefwr and Torpantau Falls.

Blaen y Glyn falls by Ian Dyer.

Two young cormorants in the nest by Hefin Owen.

Hefin Owen snapped these two young cormorants on the nest. Cormorant chicks feed once a day by sticking their beaks up inside their parents mouths and swallowing the regurgitated fish.

It's no easy task photographing kingfisher as they're so fast in flight but this one sat still long enough for Emil Pix.

A kingfisher stretches its wings. Image by Emil Pix

Not particularly rare but rarely seen, this smooth or common newt was captured by Jeff Cohen. Smooth newts are normally found lurking in the murky depths of garden ponds but if you're patient enough - you can watch and wait as they will eventually come up for air.

Smooth newt by Jeff Cohen.

Someone on Twitter asked me earlier "what is the dew point temperature?"

Well, the dew point is the temperature at which air can no longer hold all of its water vapour and some of the water vapour must condense into liquid water.

The dew point is always lower than or equal to the air temperature. If the air temperature cools to the dew point, or if the dew point rises to equal the air temperature, then dew, fog or clouds begins to form. At this point the relative humidity is 100%.

During the summer, the dew point temperature is a good measure of how humid it feels. A higher dew point means there is more water vapour available in the atmosphere to produce showers and thunderstorms.

My idea of a perfect summer's day would be a temperature of 25 Celsius with a dew point of 10 Celsius.

This would feel very pleasant with a relative humidity of 52%. Yesterday, though, the dew point was high - around 18 Celsius, so it felt humid and sticky.

Today, though, dew points are lower and it feels fresher because the air over us has come from the Atlantic rather than the Bay of Biscay, so it feels more comfortable.

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After a very disappointing day on Saturday, summer returned yesterday with temperatures soaring as high as 27 Celsius in Cardiff and 28 Celsius in Denbigh making it the hottest day of the year for most of Wales.

But it's all change again today with cloudier skies, rain and showers spreading up across the country.

Temperatures in Newbridge on Wye reached a very muggy 26 Celsius but it's cooler along the north and west coast. Only 15 Celsius at RAF Valley on Anglesey with a breeze blowing off the sea.

shows frontal clouds over Scotland and Ireland and ahead of this, thundery clouds in the Bay of Biscay are spreading north into southern Britain.

These clouds are part of a which can sometimes bring us torrential downpours and severe thunderstorms.

This plume of humid and moist air is moving eastwards and tomorrow will be a cooler and fresher day everywhere - with air from the Atlantic over us and lower humidity.

The next few days will bring more comfortable temperatures, cooler nights and (apart from the odd shower), plenty of dry weather with variable cloud and sunny spells.

Talking of Spain - last week I was in Asturias in northern Spain, walking in the 'the peaks of Europe' - this time not for the TV cameras but for my own pleasure.

The climate there is much more changeable and cooler than the south of Spain (with it being closer to the Atlantic coast and Bay of Biscay) but the extra rainfall keeps everything nice and green. There was even a few patches of snow remaining on the highest mountains!

I stayed in a small family run where all the food was organic and very tasty and it was great spot to base myself for all the amazing walks this location has to offer.

I also tried my hand at canoeing on the River Sella which was great fun and managed to remain upright unlike my companions....

I definitely saw a different side to Spain though and will visit again - even if it's just听 to sample the local cider!

Derek

Some of you may have noticed that this year, Chris Packham was dropping Manic Street Preacher song titles into Springwatch. Here's a fun little video montage from News online.

In previous years, Chris has used Cure and Smiths songs, so at least he has some taste! ;)

Gull

There's a new pub opening this Friday in the middle of the Bristol Channel on Flat Holm island!

The Gull and Leek (no relation) will open its doors during the seasonal highs of summer, Halloween and Xmas.

The last pub here closed down in the early 1900s and the only full-time residents are the three wardens and 1000's of seabirds.

The island has a significant breeding colony of over 4,000 pairs of lesser black-backed gull, 400 pairs of herring gull, two pairs of great black-backed gull as well as shelduck and oystercatchers.

As for the leeks, the island is one of only five places in Britain where wild leeks grow, often reaching up to six feet in height and are protected by law (just incase you're thinking of picking some).

At the height of the nesting season (June and July), it's not uncommon to be mobbed by gulls if you venture too close to the nest sites - so take a hat and stick to the paths or stay in the pub!

Weatherman Walking visited the island in 2010 so if you fancy a pint and a stroll, visit the walking map, route details and photos on our website.

More on this story on 大象传媒 News online.

Gull

Father and son duo, Jeff and Ashley Cohen - regular contributors to our have just sent in some amazing, yet brutal shots of a stoat killing a rabbit up in , North Wales.

Looks away now if you're squeamish but remember this is what nature is all about - survival of the fittest!

This particular stoat family lives near the seashore at the Conwy RSPB Reserve and uses the beach as a short cut, so yes, that is seaweed you're seeing in some of the shots!

It appears as if Conwy is rapidly becoming one of the best places in Britain to see stoat in the wild and other members of our have also sent in remarkable pics from the same location.

A curious stoat amongst the rocks.Image by Ashley Cohen.

听

The stoat scarpers away with its prize. Image by Jeff Cohen.

The stoat readjusting its grip on the dead rabbit. Image by Ashley Cohen.

Stoat cuddle by Adrian Foster.

Find out more about stoat on 大象传媒 Wildlife Finder.

How to tell the difference between a stoat and a weasel on .

Stoat on .

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Bee-keepers could hold the key to new superbug treatments in their back gardens.

Cardiff University and the National Botanic Garden of Wales are appealing for help in building up a DNA profile of the nation鈥檚 honey.

They hope to use the information to identify plants which could fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as the 鈥榮uperbug鈥� MRSA. The honey project could also help fight the diseases currently attacking Britain鈥檚 bees.

Honeys have long been known to have anti-bacterial properties and are used in wound dressings today. Different honeys act against different microbes depending on the chemicals in the plants visited by bees.

Now the Welsh School of Pharmacy at Cardiff University and the National Botanic Garden of Wales are asking honey-makers across the country to send them samples, along with a list of plants near their beehives.

A screening test developed at Cardiff will test for activity against two of the most common hospital-acquired infections, the bacteria MRSA and Clostridium difficile.

The honey project could help fight the diseases attacking Britain鈥檚 bees.

The team will then investigate the plants found in the honey for the potential to develop new drugs.

The joint University and Garden team, who are supported by the , will also be looking for honeys which help bees resist pests and bugs.

In particular, they will test for resistance to the Varroa mite, which has caused a rapid decline in the UK bee population, and the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae, responsible for American Foulbrood, which is one of the most destructive of all bee diseases.

Bee pollination is worth an estimated 拢100m to British agriculture every year, and it is vital to halt the fall in bee numbers.

Dr Natasha de Vere, National Botanic Garden of Wales, said: 鈥淲e have nearly completed our Barcode Wales project to DNA barcode each of the 1143 flowering plants in Wales and are excited to be developing our first applications that use this fantastic resource.

We can see which honeys have the best results against infectious diseases that affect humans and bees and use DNA barcoding to identify the plants making the honey.鈥�

Anyone who wants to contribute their honey to the research project should send a 200 gram pot with their address, postcode, and details of the plants their bees feed on to:

Jenny Hawkins, Welsh School of Pharmacy, Cardiff University, Redwood Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB.

Almost 400 people took part in the at Rhossili beach this weekend, raising money for Marie Curie Cancer Care and the National Trust.

Watch the of the event on You Tube.

The news has subsequently gone global, reaching as far as Australia and has been all over the national press here:

Well done to all the brave people who took part, as it there was a chilly wind blowing on Saturday and the sea was pretty rough too!

I think April is the new June and June is the new October.

The is currently to the south of the UK with no sign of summer on the horizon.

The whole of Wales will eventually see rain this afternoon and I'm afraid the cricket at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff looks likely to be rained off this evening.

However, it should dry and brighten-up in Pembrokeshire before sunset and elsewhere the rain will slowly clear away overnight. 听 however for the UK is not looking very summery....

Saturday will bring a mixture of sunny intervals and showers with the showers heaviest in the south as well as a risk of hail and thunder.

It will also be feeling cooler with top temperatures 14 to 17 Celsius and a strong westerly wind along the Bristol Channel coast.

Sunday should be a better day with the odd light shower but generally drier and brighter and some sunshine. Temperatures 14 to 17 Celsius with a moderate west to south westerly wind.

The Welsh Coast Surf Club (Porthcawl) are having a family surfing fun day & BBQ at Rest Bay on Sunday from 11am to raise money for a local charity so I hope they have a good day and plenty of sunshine.

The food is free but the club are asking for a small donation per sausage and apparently Gull is doing the cooking! They've got all sorts of events lined up so it should be a good day.

Next week more rain on Monday will clear to sunny intervals and showers. The weather may improve later in the week with a ridge of high pressure but only for a time.

Derek

Head of , Anne Meikle looks back at the charity's achievements and explains why in 2011, its work needs your support more than ever:

"Amid fears that hunting and habitat destruction would lead to the extinction of much of Africa's wildlife, WWF was formed in 1961. Now active in more than 100 countries, it is a leading environmental organisation, protecting threatened species and habitats".

"But despite our successes, the problems haven't gone away. As well as threatening rare and beautiful animals, our modern lifestyles are placing the world's resources under immense pressure, which threatens the future of both nature and human beings".

"Today, WWF Cymru is the Welsh office of WWF-UK, which in turn forms part of the world's largest environmental network. Since 2000, we've had a dedicated team based in Cardiff Bay, ensuring that the environment and sustainability are high on the political and media agendas".

"We've lobbied the Welsh Government on various issues, including climate change and renewable energy. We've had growing success year-on-year with our Earth Hour appeal, with people switching off their lights for an hour to express their concerns about climate change and the need to safeguard the planets resources".

"We've had fantastic support from Welsh councils, AMs and Welsh Ministers, with the lights going out at some of our most iconic buildings".

Head of WWF Cymru, Anne Meikle with Jonathon Porritt at the Hay Festival.

"The fundamental challenge we face today is the same as 50 years ago: how can large numbers of people have a decent standard of living, without destroying the planet's biodiversity and in turn, destroying their children's future?"

"It's no longer possible, for example, to protect somewhere like the Amazon just by working with local people. We must challenge the things that drive deforestation, like the market for timber and the way we feed our animals. We also have to reduce the effects a changing climate will have upon the Amazon".

"That is why WWF Cymru is working with the Welsh Assembly and other organisations in Wales to reduce our impact on the planet. We are proud that the Welsh government has adopted our goal of a 'One Planet Wales'".

"So today, while WWF works to restore, for example, the tiger population in central Asia, WWF Cymru is supporting the global conservation work here in Wales".

"We're encouraging Welsh consumers to buy fish with the logo of the (MSC), which we worked to establish with Unilever, and we're working to safeguard our seas and coastline by ensuring they are planned and managed more sustainably".

"We're calling for Welsh councils to make sure they buy responsibly sourced wood and paper and persuading the Welsh Government - through Stop Climate Chaos Cymru - to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions".

"These are just some of the many fantastic achievements of WWF over the past 50 years. Despite the looming threats, I am optimistic".

"I'm proud of all we've achieved so far and I hope that in our 50th anniversary year, more people will join the 20,000 active supporters we already have in Wales and work towards a planet on which people and nature thrive".

explaining the work of the WWF in Wales and the rest of the world.

Mike Bailey, Senior Reserve Manager, Dyfi - Countryside Council for Wales has just been in touch to tell us about a recent visit from Chris Packham and the Springwatch team who filmed wild orchids there on Tuesday.

Chris Packham visited Ynyslas dunes with a 大象传媒 Springwatch camera crew yesterday to film some of site's renowned orchid populations.

Chris Packham by Juliet Reagan.

On a beautiful sunny morning Juliet Reagan, a local orchid enthusiast and myself we were able to lead Chris to the perfect spot to see and film some of the amazing variety of orchids at Ynyslas.

Chris Packham and crew filming. Image by Juliet Reagan.

This included a scarce deep red subspecies of Early Marsh orchid, large purple spikes of Southern Marsh orchid and the aptly named' Leopard spot' variety of the Southern Marsh.

We were also able to find a couple of the more elusive Bee orchid, a real floral gem that had the TV presenter waxing lyrical.

Chris Packham and orchids. Image by Juliet Reagan.

Mike Bailey said: It was great to see the programme giving the local flora some attention and Chris Packham's knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject was very impressive".

Thanks for the update Mike and nice to see some of the old crew I worked with for a few weeks back in 2009, still going strong! :)

Yesterday we enjoyed a brief return to summer. At Aberporth in Ceredigion there was nearly 13 hours of sunshine! While at Hawarden in Flintshire, the temperature rose to 22 Celsius, 72 Fahrenheit.

But it's all change again today and much cloudier with fronts bringing a little rain and a few heavy showers.

This evening a will take place. The full moon will darken and turn a deep red as it rises in the south-eastern sky at 9.25pm:

Lunar eclipse by Martin Griffiths - Senior lecturer in Astronomy at the University of Glamorgan.

Be warned, some cloud is likely and it will be very low on the horizon but hopefully you'll be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the red moon before it reverts back to normal. The next total lunar eclipse is on 10 December 2011.

Tomorrow's forecast is for a mixture of sunshine and scattered showers. Some of the showers heavy with a risk of thunder. Top temperatures 14 to 17 Celsius, 57 to 63 Fahrenheit with a west to south-westerly breeze, fresh on exposed coasts in the south and west.

On , turning wet and windy with low pressure bringing heavy rain and freshening winds.

The weekend doesn't look too summery either...Cool and windy on Saturday with sunny intervals and blustery showers. Some of the showers will be heavy with possible hail and thunder.

The winds will be fresh to strong west/south-westerly winds with highs of only 13 to 16 Celsius, 55 to 61 Fahrenheit

Sunday looks better but there's still a chance of showers but with more in the way of dry weather and sunshine. Less windy though so feeling a tad warmer with top temperatures between 14 and 17 Celsius, 57 to 63 Fahrenheit.

A few people have been asking me on what the weather will be like for Glastonbury next week.

It's too early to say for sure but at the moment it looks like the changeable weather pattern will continue although there's a hint of high pressure later in the week.

Derek

Since I've been away on location with Weatherman Walking, our 大象传媒 Wales Nature Flickr group has been overflowing with 100s of fabulous photos, covering a huge range of wildlife, landscape and plant life. Here are a few of my favourites from over the last few weeks:

A colourful stonechat in full song by Suzanne Padden.

A lovely, backlit plant taken at Penrhos coastal plant by Nicci Walker.

A superb portrait of a grey seal on Anglesey by Top Sausage Lobber

It's not easy photographing turns in flight as they are so fast and agile in the air but Linda Edwards has done a great job with this sandwich tern at Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey.

Danny Linton took this lovely landscape shot down at Three Cliffs Bay on Gower. I particularly like the wild flowers which are as much a part of the view as the sea and cliffs at this time of year.

A grey squirrel tries out life on the other side of the lens. Image by Eddie Evans.

I think this last shot, sent in by Eddie Evans deserves a caption comp just for fun! So leave your best efforts in the comments area below:

There's been a lot of talk of drought recently which is true for parts of England including East Anglia but according to the Environment Agency Wales was not officially in drought status although it was probably touch and go in some places such as the Marches.

Last week I was walking in Montgomeryshire and Shropshire along the Offa's Dyke Path and crossed the River Unk which was bone dry. Mind you, after yesterday's deluge I bet its trickling with water now.

Amounts of rain varied across the country.The Environment Agency figures state: that one of the wettest places in the last 24 hours was Treherbert in the Rhondda with 72mm of rain (3 inches) but Ruthin in Denbighshire had 9mm and Pontrhydfendigaid in Ceredigion only had 5mm. So, some welcome rain for gardeners and farmers alike.

The weather is improving today - becoming dry and brighter and most of tomorrow will be dry with some warm sunshine thanks to a ridge of but make most of it, because the rest of the week looks more unsettled with low pressure bringing a few showers and rain on Friday.

Last week a little snow fell on Snowdon on Friday! This is slightly unusual in June but does happen every now and again with cold air from the Arctic. On quite widely across Britain.

The cold snap back then was followed by a heat wave but there's no sign of that happening this year.

The rest of June looks very changeable with temperatures around or a little below average for the time of year.

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Last week, I spent two days with Derek Brockway and the Weatherman Walking crew for a walk along .

It was a linear walk beginning in Churchtown and ending in the historic market town of Montgomery with its impressive Georgian town hall and 13th century, hill top castle.

The lovely old town hall in Montgomery

We met up with our walking guide and all round dyke aficionado, Jim Saunders outside a quaint old church in the aptly named Churchtown, (complete with swallows nest in porch) and began with a steep climb up the first section of the dyke.

There was no gentle introduction to this walk, just a steep ascent up through ancient woods and onto the hill tops above, where we were rewarded with stunning views and blue skies.

The dyke is a curious feature of the landscape here, at times - completely man-made and obvious whilst at others, barely recognisable from the naturally occurring hedgerows running through the fields.

Derek and Jim were huffing and puffing like a couple of steam trains by the time we got to the top and sound recordist Mark had a wry smile on his face listening to them on the way up ;)

Derek and Jim on the steep, first leg of the walk.

The forecast for the following day, (Friday) was mixed so we really hoped it lasted as it makes filming so much easier as well as the final programme edit, if the weather stays the same over consecutive days.

Offa was King of Mercia from 757 to 796 AD and had a vast kingdom that covered the area between the Trent/ Mersey rivers in the North to the Thames Valley in the South, and from the Welsh border in the West to the Fens in the East. Anglia.

The dyke runs for 80 miles from the Wye Valley as far as Wrexham and Jim informed us that it was originally around 25 feet wide and 8 metres high from the bottom of the ditch to the top of the bank and all built by hand - no power tools involved!

An old stone sign marking the dyke route.

I've never walked in this part of the country, let alone along the 1200 year old dyke so it was a real eye opener and although the dyke has suffered from erosion - mainly due to man's activities, there are still some impressive sections where you can clearly see how large it once stood.

The mind boggles but to date, historians and archaeologists have no idea how long it took to build or even how many people were involved in its construction.

Its purpose is also up for debate, although many believe it was defensive; opinions are varied and you can see why.

Some sections of the dyke follow naturally steep hillsides, so it wouldn't have made sense to build a massive defensive wall where nature had already created difficulties for any invading armies? So perhaps, it was purely built as a boundary/ territory marker...

Derek and Jim walk past a section of the dyke where livestock have eroded the sides.

Find out more about the dyke on the .

The nice thing about walking along the dyke path is the steady stream of passionate walkers you meet; in what are basically quite isolated spots.

Young and old, some with dogs, some on their own, all appeared along various sections of the dyke during our two days filming here, including some Australians we interviewed for the TV programme.

As we followed the dyke we frequently changed countries, switching between England and Wales as the dyke zigzagged its way across borders and half the time we had no idea whether we were in England or Wales!

Lunch was eaten by the side of the Kerry Ridgeway, overlooking a lovely valley and one of the steeper sections of the dyke.

Jim and Derek inspecting one of the steeper sections of Offa's Dyke.

Evidence of erosion was clearly visible, probably caused by sheep who enjoy scratching around in the mud and scree but badgers are also problem along the dyke as they make their 'sets' inside it.

To the badger it's a perfect set up with nice, soft earth, good banks and sunny facing aspect making it an ideal habitat but watch where you're walking as some of the holes can be pretty deep and easy to fall into!

Heading down into the valley we crossed over a completely dried up river bank - yet more evidence of the dry spring we experienced in Wales this year.

Then it was up another steep hill, hugging a pine forest before we got up onto the top of lucious green fields before crossing over the border back into Wales.

The sun was beginning to sink as we approached a stunning view point overlooking the before walking down into the picturesque village of Cwm Chapel.

Amazing views over the Shropshire hills

Day two and we picked up the walk where we left off and headed towards - a Gothic 18th Century mansion which these days, is a popular wedding venue and touring camp site.

The woods skirting this wonderful building were alive with bird calls but a little muddy underfoot but we emerged unscathed at the back of the hall before heading out towards the main road and the remains of a in Churchstoke.

I say remains - it's basically a tall mound of earth with trees growing out of it in someone's back garden but worth a look and once had a timber keep on the top. Crossing the stone bridge nearby you once again change countries, back into England.

The next stop was the Blue Bell hotel and pub for a quick chat with the landlady who has been running the pub since the 1960s and whose father owned it before her.

There's an ancient oak tree out front, complete with two equally old petrol pumps (no longer in service) which are well worth a photo if you're passing by.

Derek at the pumps

The weather was beginning to look a little foreboding at this point, with dark clouds circling above us like vultures, so we began to prepare for the worst and dig out the old waterproofs and camera covers.

The walk then crossed over the main road, veering right skirting freshly planted fields of corn before taking us through Lymore Park and Montgomery via the Cricket Club - one of the oldest in Britain, dating back to the 1840s.

Montgomery Cricket Club once defeated the All England team here by 62 runs but fielded 22 players?! So I've a feeling plenty of local ale was drunk on that day...

The weather held and apart from a few showers we made our way into Montgomery, dry and in glorious sunshine with Derek waxing lyrical about the various cloud types on display....cumulus congestus, mediocris etc.

I also invented a new weather description for him - 'scattered sunshine'听 and 'clumps of rain' so listen out for that one on future Wales Today broadcasts ;)

Once we arrived in town, it was up yet another steep hill towards with incredible views in all directions. There's not that much left of the castle compared to some in Wales but it's worth a trip up there, just for the panoramic views.

Montgomery Castle

A nearby greater-spotted woodpecker family squeaked continuously whilst we were there but always remained once step ahead of my camera lens, despite my best efforts at stalking them...

We finally returned to base, shattered but in dire need of a curry which we eventually found in Hereford on the way home. Five walks done, three to go and rumour has it, we will be in Pembrokeshire for the next one, so it will be nice to walk on home turf.

The weather is more like April than June at the moment with a mixture of sunshine and showers across the country.

It's cool and breezy as well with temperatures only 13 to 16 Celsius - a little below average for this time of year.

There's no sign of it warming-up either over the next few days but at least the wind will lighten on Friday.

As for the weekend, Saturday looks the best day. A few showers breaking out, most of these inland, otherwise dry. Sunniest towards the coast with top temperatures between 13 and 15 Celsius with mainly light winds.

Sunday doesn't look so good with low pressure bringing us some rain and a freshening south easterly wind.

I'm off filming again tomorrow and on Friday. This time the Weatherman Walking team are heading to Montgomeryshire and walking part of but hopefully we'll manage to miss most of the showers :)

Derek

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I was on Gower at the weekend to open the at Caswell Bay. Thanks to all those who turned up and did the seven mile walk with me, which we filmed for Weatherman Walking last year.

It was nice to do the walk and not be followed by the cameras but having told everyone it would stay fine, showers broke out on Saturday afternoon which were unexpected, so I had a little egg on my face...

It just goes to show that no forecast is set in stone and things can change which can be both frustrating and annoying.

I am confident it will stay dry on Gower today but the rest of the week looks more unsettled, low pressure will bring some unstable air, towering clouds and showers but I can promise a few sunny spells.

It will be breezy at times along the coast and not that warm with top temperatures between 12 and 16 Celsius.

By the way, after some persuasion I have joined the world of Twitter! You can here and enjoy a few pearls of meteorological wisdom or not...But if the forecast goes pear shaped, please don't be too hard on me :)

Back to walks now - the and ends on 12 June.

Have a good week

Derek

It's flaming June today - with clear, blue skies and sunshine across the country.

The satellite picture for 1100GMT today shows clear skies across much of Britain thanks to high pressure. Notice the band of cloud to the west of Scotland. This is a cold front which will move southeast across Britain over the weekend and weaken but it will introduce cooler and fresher air for Sunday.

Yesterday Porthmadog in Gwynedd was the warmest place in Wales with a high of 23 Celsius, 73 Fahrenheit but I think we will beat that today with somewhere reaching 25 or 26 Celsius, 78 Fahrenheit - this would make it the hottest day of the year so far.

If you are out enjoying the sunshine, don't forget the suncream. Factor 15 or higher is best (/weather/world/features/sun_index.shtml).

The grass pollen season is now well under way and will continue into July: . The pollen count is high today and will be tomorrow but will drop to moderate on Sunday.

Tomorrow will be another fine and very warm day with plenty of sunshine.

Some patchy cloud is likely in the afternoon and parts of the north and west coast may be troubled by low cloud and mist. Top temperatures around 23 Celsius. Cooler on the north and west coast where the wind is off the sea.

Sunday not so good. Cloudier and cooler with a risk of a shower. The best of the sunshine in Pembrokeshire and the west coast. Temperatures will be lower, between 15 and 18 Celsius with a moderate to fresh north-easterly breeze.

So the very warm weather is going to be short lived. Saturday the best day of the weekend. Next week cooler with some rain and showers at times.

The seventh Gower Walking Festival gets under way tomorrow. 66 wonderful walks and events are planned over the next 16 days. For more information visit .

While in the north, the is on tomorrow starting at 11am.

Plenty of fun is forecast and the weather will be dry. Some sunshine, however low cloud and mist may roll in from the sea. The top temperature around 18 Celsius, 64 Fahrenheit with a breeze off the sea.

Have a great weekend.

Derek

After the driest March and April since 1976 we finally had some welcome rain in May. Averaged across Wales 84.1mm (3.3 inches) fell which is slightly above the long term average of 80.7mm although some places were wetter than others.

At Capel Curig 190mm of rain (7.6 inches) was recorded but Hawarden in Flintshire only had 27mm (1.1 inches).

May was warmer than average with around 179 hours of sunshine (average 189 hours).

(March, April and May) was the warmest on record in Wales with a mean temperature of 9.3 Celsius, which is 1.7 degrees above the long term average.

It was also the fourth driest spring since records began in 1910 with only 145mm of rain, 51% of average.

Over the next couple of days, there is plenty more dry and very warm weather to come thanks to high pressure. Friday is the hottest day of the week with temperatures soaring as high as 26 Celsius, 79 Fahrenheit. Sunday will turn cooler with more cloud but still some sunshine. While the outlook for next week is cooler with a few showers.

So great weather for the Wales Open Golf Tournament at the Celtic Manor in Newport and for the remainder of the Hay Festival at Hay on Wye but don't forget the suncream and high levels of grass pollen are expected as well.

Wales 1971-2000 averages: .

As you may know from Gull's blog we've started filming for a new series of Weatherman Walking. Last week we completed another two walks - One in Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, the other up Garth mountain near Cardiff.

The walk in Barry started at Barry Dock Railway station and then over to Barry Island. We stopped to have a look at St. Baruch's Chapel and then crossed Jackson's Bay, around Nells Point and Friars Point and then headed over the causeway to the Knap and Watchtower Bay.

This walk brought back fond memories, when I was a boy I often used to the go to the old Knap Lido swimming pool in the summer. Mind you, I don't think I ever swam in the deep end - it was too deep and cold for me!

Walking along the knap towards Porthkerry Park

From the Knap we walked past Pebble beach and stopped to have a look at the Roman villa at Glan-y-Mor.

Our walk continued along the top of the cliffs with wonderful views of the town and across the Bristol Channel. We then headed down the Golden Stairs into Porthkerry Park where the warden showed us some basking in the sunshine.

A baby adder basking under corrugated metal sheeting.

From Porthkerry we carried on along the coast passing the Bulwarks, a large iron Age hillfort, close to the runway at Cardiff Airport. We then walked through the caravan park where they filmed Gavin And Stacey. Our end point was Rhoose Point, the most southerly tip in mainland Wales.

This was the end of our walk but if you're not feeling tired you could head back to Barry on foot or take the easy option and let the rain take the strain and catch one from Rhoose Railway Station .

Our next walk started in Pentyrch and then up to the top of Garth mountain. I walked with five members from the walking group . They were a lively bunch and I really enjoyed their company and listening to their stories along the way.

Group shot in the rain en route to Coed y Bedw reserve.

Our walk took us through the magical woodland of which is well worth checking out and then to the village of Gwaelod y Garth where we stopped for lunch and some warm soup.

We needed our waterproofs on this walk but fortunately the weather did clear-up in the afternoon and although it was windy on the top of the Garth we could see for miles with great views of Cardiff and beyond.