Will spring 2012 turn out to have been one of extremes? Hottest March, wettest April. Is this month aiming for the coldest May title?

It's not as cold here at nights as it must have been elsewhere, but daytime temperatures are rarely above 11C. Fortunately some sun is forecast for the rest of this week.

black stormclouds forecast for here today.
Just went to feed chicken ladies and was caught in a hailstorm, so far rain, sun and hail!

It's grim further North too - another lovely day forecast, only light cold rain at the moment.
Today:
Sunshine and showers for many, some showers heavy with a risk of hail and thunder, and falling as sleet or snow over the hills. Showers will tend to ease through the latter part of the afternoon. Staying cool and breezy. Maximum Temperature 11 °C.
Tonight:
Showers largely dying away through the evening and so mainly dry overnight, with cloud gradually melting away. Winds easing and becoming cold, with a frost in places. Minimum Temperature 0 °C.

Although this weather may seem a bit extreme it is not that unusual. And if we are in for another Sunspot Maunder minimum then this could be something we have to get used to. Of course, we could all be saved by Global Warming. Meantime, use the greenhouse and polytunnels wisely. Nice not to have to worry too much about things being cooked under cover.

Frost forecast for down this way overnight.....typical when I have just put things in! Although they have some wind protection they haven't got cover on them and spuds have poked through the earthing up again so fingers crossed. Hopefully being only a few blocks away from the coast will be my saving grace.

Westi

Same here as at Geoff's though the cold wind is our worst feature. Forecast for tomorrow is a bit better - dry and mainly sunny after frost overnight so, hopefully, we'll be able to plant out some more broad beans which have been waiting in roottrainers outside at home. Certainly not risking anything remotely frost tender outside yet!

It's certainly starting bright and sunny after an overnight ground frost with ice on the car although weather station said +2.

No frost - would be unusual at this time of year down here but everything appears unusual this year!

Westi

Got a lot done on the allotment today, planting beetroot, parsnip, broad beans and mangetout peas, all out of roottrainers and all, other than broad beans, still covered up with fleece. Luckily the potatoes are still not through yet so we won't have to worry about them in night frosts.

A bat was flying around at noon today - the poor things must find it very difficult to find anything to eat because there are hardly any insects about, it seems. We did have a newly emerged peacock butterfly in the garage and released it in the least windy spot of the garden!

Has been a lovely day, although a little chilly at times .

Just checked the Met Office and thankfully no frosts predicted for us tonight. Greenhouses definitely starting to look like a Triffids set - desperately need to start planting out .

May have to take a chance and get the french beans and sunflowers out tomorrow, weather permitting. May also put the tumbling toms and 100s/1000s toms into their baskets/tubs ready for hanging out but will keep them in the big greenhouse for a few days.

Planting out cabbages and sowing brocolli and kale with the school tomorrow, weather permitting .

VPM
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The sunflowers should be fine, VPM. They are hardy and ours have been out for two or three weeks, in frost and all. But French beans are very touchy and I certainly would not risk those without protection outside until at least beginning of June in your climes.

Thanks Monica,

I do have some protection available for the beans which is why I may just risk them but I may chicken out tomorrow - I hate to lose plants. I remember losing loads of things to a very harsh frost on the 12th May 2010 (I wrote the date down to remind myself).

VPM
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Well, it's looking better than it did at the start of the week. Warming up nicely and promise of better next week. Got round to planting the polytunnel tomatoes yesterday - a good ten days later than last year. Time to get the propagators disconnected and stored away this morning. Strawberries already well over a week later than last year and still no sign of any ripening.

Quite mad here too, going to dig the first of my Swift potatoes from over the allotment, tomorrow. These were planted at the start of March and then covered with my glass cloches.
Where as i have been worrying about my later planted potatoes getting frosted this week.

Seems silly digging some while worrying about the others getting frostbite.

According to the weather station in our garden we are running neck and neck with the coldest May for 100 years which was actually in 1996. Maybe next week will improve things.

Even in our cold greenhouse things are not germinating or growing as they should be.

We were late planting potatoes and sowing parsnips and carrots too