Glorious weekend for Ten Tors and Transat

How incredibly different successive years can be! In 2007 the country enjoyed one of its best Aprils ever weather wise. Then in May it all started going downhill with the Ten Tors Trek on Dartmoor being (wisely) abandoned. Fast forward to this year to a cool dampish April but then a much improved early May. Last month was a little depressing because once the clocks change to British Summer Time I think in terms of turning the heating off and spending more time outside. However on reflection I'm pleased that April wasn't particularly warm because it's just possible that the disappointing weather may have inhibited the development of the midges that spread the devastating bluetongue disease. The good news here is that the vaccine is now available to combat it. Hopefully our farmers will win the race against time to protect their stock.

It has been a nice warm weekend here and I've been able to do some catch up on the garden I'm pleased to say. Although we didn't have any of the threatened thundery showers I gather that there was one such in the Fowey area yesterday afternoon. This year's 'Ten Tors' was highly successful and the weather was kind for spectators in the Plymouth area to watch the 'Transat', the once every four years single handed yacht race across the Atlantic.

At the moment it looks as if there will be a thundery breakdown of this pleasing weather during the second half of the week. Let's hope that it just a temporary blip. Surely this summer can't be as bad as the last!

Quiet autumn weather

Following on from the dreadfully wet summer we are having some compensation now with quiet autumn weather. In my neck of the woods the last week or two seem to be averaging one very wet day to the other six of the week being dry. That's a balance I'm happy with.

Here are one or two random thoughts about the present weather situation:

• We are on the verge of having some ground frosts in the Tamar Valley and I believe some parts of the country further east and north have been colder. This is good principally because we need colder weather to kill the midges that have brought bluetongue into this country. Frosts might also reduce some of the garden pests that are getting out of hand.
• It was good to see in Tavistock earlier this week people sitting outside to drink their tea or coffee. Tavistock, for all its many virtues, is not particularly well known for a dry sunny climate, lying as it does just below the western scarp of Dartmoor. But I can think of at least three cafes in the town with tables and chairs out in the fresh air. This culture has developed in a big way recently which is good news.
• The last few years have seen dire warnings from the Environment Agency about lowered water tables and streams drying up more especially in the populated south east. After this summer's rains there was a worry that if similar weather happened this autumn further extensive flooding could occur purely because the water table has become much higher. Fortunately this hasn't happened (yet).
• I have a large apple tree at the bottom of the garden which is absolutely laden with fruit. So far this season there has only been one incidence of strong wind and nearly all the apples have stayed on the tree.
• With many dry and reasonably sunny days it helps to maximise the daylight. I'm not keen on days when a wet dark evening starts halfway through the afternoon!

First case of Bluetongue in Britain

The often fatal bluetongue disease which has been hitting farm animals hard in northern Europe has now appeared in Suffolk. The symptoms in a highland cow at a rare breeds farm have proved to be that of bluetongue and the animal has now been slaughtered. It is a particular kind of midge that carries the virus, fortunately there is nothing for humans to worry about.

It has been thought that it would only be a matter of time before bluetongue would arrive on our shores. Let's just hope that this is a very isolated case. With the Foot and Mouth worries this is the very last thing our farmers need.

At present there is no vaccine to counter the illness but there is some hope that one might be developed within the next 12 months.

There is now a foot and mouth scare in Hampshire. Hopefully that will be another false alarm. But these are very jittery times for our livestock farmers.