Spring has sprung

Spring has arrived. Temperatures are slowly on the rise. The Met Office is predicting a steady period of daytime temperatures hitting 12-14C for the next ten days. Likewise, the overnight temperature is expected to hover around 7-9C. A month ago, daytime temperatures were closer to those now being forecast overnight.

I continue to be amazed how distinctive each season is in the UK. Daffodils are starting to bloom in the garden and neighbouring trees are smothered in blossom. The Royal Horticultural Society has confirmed that most spring flowers are in bloom, at least a month earlier than usual. Garry and I have decided to schedule a trip to the London Zoo and see the new born animals this year. The Zoo is located on the edge of The Regents Park, less than 15 minutes walk from home.

Last week the Met Office reported that the winter just ended was the UK’s second mildest on record. For London, it's been the mildest ever recorded. In fact the last 12 months (March 2006 to February 2007) have been the warmest period for 348 years. The rest of Europe is reporting similar records. MeteoSwiss says that Switzerland has experienced the warmest winter since records began 140 years ago. The German Weather Service also declared winter the warmest on record across Central Europe.