Your photos from across West Midlands: Sunshine and flowers
We love to feature your photographs showing the beauty of the West Midlands and here are some of the best from the past week.Upload your images via BBC Weather Watchers or email us at midlandstoday@bbc.co.uk.For inspiration, view some top tips from three of England's Big Picture photographers.
When emailing pictures, please make sure you include the following information:The full name of the person who took the pictures (as this person owns the copyright)Confirmation that the copyright holder gives permission for the BBC to use their pictures across all its outputsThe location, date and time the pictures were takenYour telephone number so we can get back to you if we have any further questions.Any other details about the pictures that may be useful for us to know
Follow for more pictures on Instagram from BBC Birmingham, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, BBC Hereford & Worcester, BBC Shropshire, BBC Stoke & Staffordshire and BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country.
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Wales Online
18 hours ago
- Wales Online
Met Office weather map shows exact time 25C temperatures are set to arrive in Wales
Met Office weather map shows exact time 25C temperatures are set to arrive in Wales The country has been hit by unsettled conditions in recent days BBC weatherman Derek Brockway has warned that while we may be experiencing dry and sunny weather, there could be patches of rain this week (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Summer is still stretching out ahead of us with more warm weather now on the way. Forecasts are showing that temperatures could reach 25C in Wales this week as things heat up again, according to the Met Office. In its latest forecast, the Met Office notes that the beginning of the upcoming week will be a mix of sunshine and showers, mainly affecting the north of the UK while the south is expected to see plenty of dry weather. But when exactly will we see temperatures reaching their highest point around Wales? For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Looking ahead to Tuesday, June 10 the Met Office has said there is a possibility of "a new low-pressure system" currently located far out in the Atlantic. This system may push a new weather front over the UK, though exact details remain uncertain at this time. This low-pressure system may also help to develop a more southerly flow, bringing warmer air from Wednesday onwards. Article continues below According to the Met Office's weather maps, Wednesday, June 11 is set to be the warmest day for Wales this week, with most places reaching temperatures between 21C- 24C by the afternoon, with lots of sunshine also expected. Met Office's weather map for Thursday, June 12 at 4pm (Image: Met Office ) It will feel particularly warm for some northern areas - with Chester, Wrexham and Welshpool all expected to see highs of 25C. But by Thursday, June 13 - things will take a turn with temperatures dropping slightly with patches of rain in the morning, although it should feel more settled by the afternoon. The warmer air also brings a risk of thunderstorms, potentially leading to an unsettled end to the week across the UK. Welsh meteorologist for the BBC Derek Brockway described the outlook for the week starting Monday, June 9 in a post on X. He said: 'No two days the same this week! Some rain and drizzle tonight. Improving from the north tomorrow. 'Some sunny spells. Wednesday the warmest day and turning humid. On Thursday showers and heavy rain will spread northwards with a risk of thunderstorms! Thundery showers Friday PM.' Content cannot be displayed without consent According to the long range forecast, the Met Office states: "Over the weekend (June 14-15) and into the start of the following week, most parts will become drier. However, there may be another brief spell of rain with a risk of some thunderstorms, before high pressure more firmly builds in from the west. Article continues below "The rest of the following week looks like being mainly dry with variable cloud and some sunshine and often warm or very warm. The far north may be largely cloudy with a threat of some more rain at times though."
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Experts reveal 10 things you can do to keep your lawn lush in summer
The summer can be hard on your lawn - and by the end of the season, you may well be wondering if you'll have any grass left. Children and animals can cause havoc - with toys, sandpits and paddling pools taking up significant space and leaving your lawn suffocated. However, there are things you can do to minimise the damage. Kate Turner, horticulturist for Evergreen Garden Care, who has worked behind the scenes on BBC Gardeners' World, Love Your Garden and Garden Rescue has some tips. 'The biggest obstacles are kids with trampolines and paddling pools. All the toys come out and they stay on the lawn. You might go on to websites which say 'Move your trampoline every day' but that's just not realistic. 'So we have to accept that during the summer just enjoy your lawn, don't get too upset about it.' However, there are things you can do to minimise the damage, she suggests. 1. Be waterwise 'If there isn't a hosepipe ban and you want to water the lawn, give it a deep soak one evening a week, or early morning if you're an early riser,' she advises. 'But the lawn is the most hard-wearing plant in your garden. So even if the dry weather continues, once the autumn rain comes, usually the lawn will bounce back.' 2. Let your grass grow longer Over the summer, don't mow your grass as frequently and if it goes brown stop mowing it completely, she advises. 'If you're not mowing the lawn, get the edges done because that makes the garden look so much smarter,' she suggests. 3. Sink your trampoline 'If you have young kids and you are going to have that trampoline for a few years, think about getting a sunken trampoline, because it's much safer,' she suggests. 'Dig a hole and line it with a weed membrane. You can get specialist companies that do it.' Once the hole has been dug, overseed the perimeter with a really hard-wearing shade-tolerant lawn seed, she advises. 'Now is a really good time to do it because the soil is warm. Rake over the area a bit, then throw some good hard-wearing drought-tolerant and shade-tolerant seed. You have to be prepared to water for the first few weeks.' Obviously you're not going to be able to move the trampoline once it is in, but at least when the children leave home you have a ready-made space for a wildlife pond, she adds. 4. Put up with the paddling pool 'There's not a lot you can do until after (summer), but get a ground sheet down first and put the pool on top of that,' she advises. 'If there's any stones or pebbles underneath the soil level it will stop it puncturing.' You could also make a feature of it, creating a path that leads to the paddling pool, which can reduce the mess around it, she adds. Once the season is over, use the pool water to water your lawn. Rake the area a little and then overseed some more to refresh the grass. If you have enough space and a small-enough paddling pool, move it once a week to give each area of lawn a break, she suggests. 5. Guard against football damage If you have a family of keen budding footballers, overseed the goal area now with hard-wearing seed – and you will need to water it until it starts to germinate – to help minimise damage later on in the summer, she advises. 'If you're not going to overseed because you already have a decent lawn, give it a slow-release feed to toughen it up.' However, like Wimbledon courts at the end of the tennis tournament, if that goal is in constant use over the summer you'll have to accept that it may be trashed during those months. 6. Feed regularly 'You can give the lawn a really good feed every six weeks and once we are into the summer proper, use something like a fast-acting green, which you can attach to your hose, spray it on and it greens the grass up and makes it stronger really quickly.' If there's a drought, don't use feeding granules, she advises, but go for a liquid feed because granules will need a lot more watering to dissolve and do the work. 7. Make a path Well-worn areas can soon appear on your lawn if you don't have a path, so create a simple pathway using, for instance, log edging and bark chip, she suggests. 'If you have kids, you could do a hopscotch effect with different pavers and put some plants in between them such as low-growing thyme and chamomile. Something temporary for the summer is a really good idea.' 8. Reduce pet damage 'Female dogs' wee is really acidic and what you'll find is that you'll get lots of little bare patches throughout your garden. 'Break it up with a fork and then add some special dog spot repair which incorporates seed, feed and calcium that neutralises the acid in the urine. 'It's either that, or when you see your dog peeing, you get a watering can and water it away straight away.' 9. Put toys away 'Always put the toys away every evening because just leaving that plastic tractor out will damage the lawn.' 10. Don't worry about the moss 'If you have a shady lawn that's full of moss, don't worry about it for the summer. It will be quite hard-wearing.'
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Countryfile's Adam Henson opens up on 'very challenging' and 'horrible' struggle
Countryfile presenter Adam Henson, who has been fronting the BBC show since 2001, has opened up about a 'very challenging' year for the farming and tourism sectors Countryfile's Adam Henson has described 2024 as a "very challenging" year for the tourism and farming industries, primarily due to the extreme weather conditions. The past year recorded the sixth wettest spring in history, followed by an underwhelming summer that only saw a brief heatwave in August. In fact, the 2023-24 season witnessed the highest number of named storms since the naming system began a decade ago. The persistent rain carried on into September and autumn, wreaking havoc on the harvest, according to Adam. He said: "Yeah, it's been very challenging for, well, tourist enterprises, outdoor tourist enterprises and farms right across the UK, just because it's been horrible. "We've certainly got some fields with quite a lot of crops in them that we haven't actually harvested and we never will." In a conversation with Minerva magazine, Adam mentioned that nowadays, over 60 per cent of farmers take on a second job as a safeguard against poor seasons. "Duncan, my business partner, over the last 30 years, continued developing the farm park, and then to grow and expand on the types of diversification we've got," he elaborated. At 59-year-old, Adam reflected on the wisdom he gained from his father Joe Henson, who hosted a TV programme called In The Country. He remembers his dad emphasising that adaptability is crucial for enduring tough times. Adam shared how witnessing his father's career flourish through television work and the popularity of the Farm Park taught him the importance of having diverse sources of income at the farm. Adam took a hands-on approach to the family venture in his teens. "I love the Farm Park – the camping and glamping element too as well as the farming. We have a beautiful spot here and I love to share that." But he warns that farming comes with its shares of highs and lows. "To be a farmer, I think you have to be incredibly committed. I grew up in Wiltshire and lots of my friends are farmers and they never knew whether they're going to have a good year," he said. Adam himself faced a dire situation when the Foot and Mouth crisis threatened his family farm's survival. Speaking to The Countrywoman's Guide, Adam described that period: "For us, Foot and Mouth was a really hard time. "We were tenants of the farm and we were heavily invested in Cotswold Farm Park, as we'd borrowed a lot of money, on top of our heavy overdraft, to push forward the business forward." The outbreak struck soon after he and his business associate Duncan had taken out loans to grow their enterprise. With over 2,000 cases recorded nationwide and upwards of six million sheep and cattle culled to prevent the contagion, the UK was reeling. According to Adam, the epidemic left his business hanging by a thread. "It was horrible, and we were in trouble," he admitted. "The farm closed, the bank was closing in on us, as was our landlord. "We sat around the kitchen table with our wives – all our assets were tied up in the farm, if we lost the business, we lost our houses and our livelihoods."
