Much of Wales had a good view of the partial solar eclipse this morning with clear skies.
If you missed it, the next partial eclipse of the sun will be in 2026 and the next total solar eclipse in the UK will not be until 2090! Today is also the spring equinox which occurs at 10.45pm in the UK but remember - the clocks don't go forward until next weekend on Sunday 29 March.
The equinox refers to the moment that the sun crosses directly overhead at the earth's equator and some people consider this to be the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. The word equinox derives from the Latin words aequus (equal) and nox (night) and means equal day and night. In reality, however the day is slightly longer than the night at an equinox, as the sun is not a single point of light, but appears as a disc. So when the centre of the sun is still below the horizon, the upper limb is already visible and emits light. Also, the atmosphere refracts light downwards, so even when the upper limb of the sun is still below the horizon, its rays already reach around the horizon to the ground. This combination makes the day slightly longer than the night.
In Wales, day and night were almost equal on March 18th before the Spring Equinox.
At the North Pole, polar bears will be celebrating the first appearance of the sun in six months but at the South Pole the penguins will be preparing for six months of darkness!
Mid and south Wales enjoyed the best of the sunshine today with temperatures rising as high as 14° Celsius in parts of Powys and Monmouthshire. Tonight there will be plenty of cloud with a few spots of light rain and drizzle and a few mist and fog patches in the west. Temperatures will generally stay above freezing but in mid Wales a touch of frost is possible by the end of the night.
Tomorrow parts of the south and west will start off cloudy with the odd spot of light rain or drizzle first thing but it will get drier and will brighten up with sunny spells. However, parts of the east and south east may be cloudy well into the afternoon. It will feel cooler and fresher than today, with top temperatures between 8 and 11° Celsius with a north to north-easterly breeze. The highest temperatures will be in the south and west, with highs of 11 or 12° Celsius.
Tomorrow night will be dry, turning cold with a widespread ground frost and some air frost in the countryside. Sunday will be dry and settled with most of the country enjoying plenty of sunshine although the south and east may be cloudy for a time. Temperatures will reach 7 to 10° Celsius with light winds.
Next week will bring a change - it will turn colder on Tuesday with showers. Some of the showers will be heavy with a risk of hail and thunder. It could be wintry on high ground with a little snow on the hills and mountains.
Welsh rugby fans have enjoyed a beautiful, sunny spring day in Rome today. Tomorrow will be much cloudier but the Rome weather should stay dry with a high of 15° Celsius and a light breeze. Good luck to Wales!
Finally, with the new moon today, large tides and a five-star Severn Bore are expected over the weekend.
