What was the weather like in 2023?

2023 was warm and wet! It saw record breaking temperatures in June, a heat wave in September and eleven named storms! It was the second warmest year for the UK since records began in 1884, with only 2022 coming in warmer. It was the warmest year on record for Wales and Northern Ireland and some parts of the UK saw over a third more rain than they would normally expect.

What were the named storms?

The named storms that visited the UK in 2023 were Otto (February), Noa (April), Antoni & Betty (August), Agnes (September), Babet (October), Ciaran & Debi (November), Elin, Fergus & Gerrit (December).

‘Storm Season’ runs from September of one year to August of the next. This coincides nicely with the time frame of our Investigation, which runs for a full academic year. From September 2022 to August 2023 there were four named storms. From September 2023 to now, there have already been eleven named storms! This makes for some very interesting weather data collection and observations from our participating schools! The storms to take place so far in 2024 are Henk, Isha & Jocelyn (January), and Kathleen (April).

Who chooses the storm names?

The MET Office began naming storms for the UK in 2015. They release a list of planned names at the beginning of each storm season. Other European countries also name storms, and if the same storm later impacts on one of these countries, then they will adopt the name already in use. This happened in 2023 with storm Otto and storm Noah, which were named by different groups.

You can suggest names to the MET Office for the next Storm Season here: Name our Storms - Met Office

Why are storms named?

Storms are named to raise awareness. Research shows that people hear about named storms more widely and better understand the link between the storm and the issues it causes across the UK. People understand that a named storm is expected to be disruptive, and they are more likely to take actions to prepare for the bad weather. Whether or not a storm is named depends on the impact it’s expected to have. Not only wind speeds, but things like where the storm is expected to occur, the time of year, time of day and even the day of the week can all impact on the decision of whether the storm will be named!

What are the next planned storm names for the 2023/24 storm season?

Lilian, Minnie, Nicholas, Olga, Piet, Regina, Stuart, Tamiko, Vincent and Walid.

Interestingly, four of this seasons storm names (Ciaran, Debi, Regina and Stuart) have been chosen in honour of people who have been recognised for helping to protect others from extreme weather.

What comments have schools shared about these storms?

Cuthbertson Primary: A tree was blown up in our garden, revealing its roots and posing a threat to safety. We have limited access to the bulbs until the tree is secured. Two storms in one week, the highest wind we have ever felt. Storm Isha and Jacqueline. We have the beginnings of green sprouts showing though.

Alloway Primary: Stormy weather this week. Inside for play due to high winds and rain.

Irvinestown Primary: We weren’t able to record weather data this week due to storm Isha and Storm Jocelyn. Our potted bulbs all tumbled over and fell out of their pots and the weather recording equipment was also affected. We are aiming to get all back up and running again as soon as possible.

Kirkmichael Primary: What a week it has been. We have had two storms, so much wind and rain and even some power cuts. Our rain gauge had fallen over on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday because of the wind, so we discussed how we can wedge it into the soil more effectively. It was also getting warmer towards the end of the week.

Doonfoot Primary: We have had TWO storms this week which has meant that we have had lots and lots of rain. The temperature is definitely increasing as the weeks progress. No blooms yet. Our Mystery Bulbs have been growing and we already have a list of guesses snowdrops, bluebells, narcissi and...more crocuses just to fool us.

Kirkmichael Primary: What a week for the weather. Overnight on Wednesday into Thursday we hit lows of -14. So very cold, although we feel like once it hits a certain (low) temperature it doesn’t feel any more cold. We are hoping though that this extreme cold hasn’t damaged our bulbs, and hope to see some signs of growth soon. Next week we have a weather storm forecast - lots of crazy weather.

St Mary's Primary: Storm Debi was Monday.

YGG Bronllwyn: Bad storms with thunder and lightning on Thursday.

St John Ogilvie Primary: Very heavy rain. Storm conditions.

Fleet Wood Lane Primary:We seem to have survived Storm Ciaran on this side of the country.

Amgueddfa Cymru has partnered with Tŷ Hafan as part of our Family and Early Years Learning Program. Within this partnership, we also work with Tŷ Hafan’s  SuperSibs group, created for the siblings of children with life limiting illnesses and families who have been bereaved. In our sessions, we engage the children in collection-based craft, play and games themed around an area in our museum collection, such as ‘Dino Discovery Day’, ‘Under the Sea’ and ‘Minibeasts’.

Some sessions take place at the Hospice itself, where the grounds are beautifully created to provide a space to relax, play and explore for the families at Tŷ Hafan, situated by the beach. Other sessions are held virtually from the museum, delivering a digital, accessible version of the planned activities that can be done from home. Our sessions often center around social, group-orientated activities that offer the children a chance to play and spend time with each other, all while making use of our wonderful museum handling objects. The informal activities promote conversation, trust and sharing, which can be beneficial and important for children who may share similar life experiences. 

Working with the incredible staff at Tŷ Hafan, we are able to contribute to this positive, engaging and friendly environment by sharing our own resources and developing a trustworthy relationship with the lovely families at Tŷ Hafan!

Thank you to all of the schools who have uploaded their weather and flower data before finishing for the holidays. Some of you are still collecting data this week and will be uploading it to the website on Thursday. Thank you for all of your hard work. 

Schools have shared some lovely comments about the project this week. Some of these are included to the right. 

After the holidays we will announce winners of the BulbCast video competition. In May we will send prizes out to all schools who have shared data. Before the end of the school year we will share a report that explores the weather and flower data and compares it to previous years. 

Thanks again Bulb Buddies,

Professor Plant

“No matter how long the winter, the spring is sure to follow”. 

For many March is the month to begin sowing, planting and getting excited for a year full of harvest. In GRAFT the Volunteers have not stopped and waited for March but instead have ploughed through the cold winter weather to fix and prepare the garden for the year ahead. 

January

January 12^th and 19^th was our first sessions back after a couple of weeks off. With the bad weather and power cuts in the museum we stuck to maintenance jobs, clearing  some of our raised beds and preparing beds ready to be planted later in the year. Even more exciting we sorted all of the seeds into month order [TOP TIP] which helped us to plan what seeds we needed to buy from our suppliers (Real Seeds, and the Incredible Seed Hub) but also forward plan the growing schedule for the year. 

We also cleared and cut back our Birch and planted in some blackthorn and hawthorn. We did this to make the hedge more attractive to different wild-life species and also harvest lovely tasting berries. 

Compost glorious compost! Compost is so important to the garden for many reasons. Not only does it reduce waste, reduces landfill and saves water but it also enriches the soil and adds lots of microorganisms to it. It’s great for the environment By composting at home you will reduce your carbon footprint by not buying factory-made fertilisers. [TOP TIP] only add the following to your compost pile: Fruit scraps, Vegetable scraps, Coffee grounds, Eggshells (though they can take a while to break down), Grass and plant clippings. DON’T add Bread, Diary Products, Rice and anything not biodegradable, such as plastics, shiny paper, stickers and some tea bag brands. 

Annie led Graft Volunteers alongside Westcross Day Care to empty our compost out, sieve it and picked out worms to add back into the compost.

 I will be updating readers every month or two months with the general work we have done in the garden. We will pass on information we have learnt, things we have done well (and not so well) and any tips for budding gardeners (or experienced gardeners) out there to take to your own green space. I will also include a seasonal recipe from The Shared Plate using ingredients from GRAFT. 

“There are no Gardening mistakes only experiments.” Janet Kilburn Phillips

February too early to begin planting? Now this is a debatable topic in the gardening world… But we thought to give early planting a try.

At the end of January and early Feb we direct planted some Onions and Parsnips (seeds), planted out some Broad Beans and sewed early Tomatoes, Aubergine, Chillis, Peppers and Sweet Peas. We also planted a Bay tree in a pot by the Kitchen and 2 Blackberry stems in the Forest Bed. Starting early gives slower germination but also means an earlier crop. 

We will sew a later variety of all the above to ensure we have more crop later in the year. [TOP TIP] Only start early if you have a heated propagator or a windowsill above a radiator at home. 

We led a workshop in making your own potting mix. What we have gone for this year is 2 part compost (our own), 2 part Coir (Coconut Husk), and 1 part Perlite. This gives a good chance to all new seeds. Only downside to using your own compost is the weeds… we have found that germinating with your own compost has encouraged them to grow. Do you have another potting mix you swear by? Let us know! 

Later in the month Ian set about repairing the wooden beds, teaching two of the GRAFT Volunteers the process. We also assembled 6 more raised beds out of corrugated iron which will line the glass edge of the Museum. As this is a shadier part of the garden, we are going to have to plan carefully what to plant there. Next time you are in the museum have a look, they look great! To fill the beds we added cardboard and a lot of cuttings and branches to pack out the base then added Top Soil on top. When this organic matter breaks down it will give nutrients to the soil.                        

At the end of February, we sewed Spinach, and a selection of Herbs (Thyme, Oregano, Marjoram, Basil) in the Polytunnel. We also ‘chitted’ (Bless me!) our potatoes, this means placing them in egg boxes with the ‘eyes’ face up. When they sprout they are good to go in the ground. Alternatively, you can just chuck them straight in the bed without chitting. [TOP TIP] Grow potatoes from home! Ever gone to make some mash and found sprouting potatoes? You can cut them in half and place them in soil to make a big crop of Potatoes right from home. Give it a try and let us know how you get on! 

Roast Crown Prince Squash with whipped tahini

Serves 4

Ingredients

1.2 k Squash of your choice, deseeded and cut into chunks

3 tbsp oil

1 red onion, finely sliced

Glug of red wine vinegar

200g tahini

Squeeze of lemon juice

Handful of mint leaves

Salt and pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Roast squash in oven with oil and season with salt for 40 mins, turning half way

Place onion in a bowl with vinegar and pinch of salt and mix well

In another bowl add 125ml of cold water to the tahini and whisk well

Add lemon juice and salt to taste

To serve put the tahini on the plate, top with the squash, pickles onions, torn mint leaves and salt and pepper

I will be updating readers every month or two months with the general work we have done in the garden. We will pass on information we have learnt, things we have done well (and not so well) and any tips for budding gardeners (or experienced gardeners) out there to take to your own green space. I will also include a seasonal recipe from The Shared Plate using ingredients from GRAFT.