It's been very windy over the past 24 hours across Wales - with gusts of nearly 100mph recorded in Snowdonia, 97mph at Capel Curig and 70mph gusts in Aberporth and Lake Vyrnwy.
March is a fickle month and the weather can change dramatically. One day it can be warm and sunny, the next cold with frost, hail and snow showers. March is a transition month as we leave winter behind and move towards spring and summer. During this time the contrast between cold air to the north and warm air to the south gets stronger.
The sharp contrast in temperature in the atmosphere creates differences in pressure which in turn creates wind. The greater the difference in the high and low pressures the stronger the force of the wind. On a weather chart the closer the isobars (lines of equal pressure) the stronger the wind.
A Met Office wind warning remains in place until this evening, with gusts of 50-60mph still possible along exposed coasts.
On Tuesday afternoon strong gusts will continue with squally showers, wintry in the hills and some with hail and thunder. There's plenty of dry, sunny spells in between, but it will feel chilly in those brisk north-westerly winds - just 7°C for Anglesey and 10°C in Cardiff.
On Tuesday evening, showers will continue for a time but peter out overnight. Winds will ease and with those lighter winds and clearer skies, temperatures will drop away. It will be slightly colder than recent nights at 2-5°C.
There'll be some early frost on Wednesday. It will be dry and breezy for a time but then cloud will thicken from the west. As another front pushes in, it will bring further wet, windy, overcast conditions on and off, with temperatures struggling at 7 or 8°C.
Later on Wednesday and into Thursday, further fronts move in from the west, bringing more unsettled weather. Thursday will be generally quite dull and grey with spells of rain at times. It will not be quite as chilly, however, with lighter winds and temperatures around 9-11°C.
On Friday those weather fronts will start clearing east-wards across the UK and pressure will build from the west, with rain easing and the outlook improving through Good Friday into Easter Saturday.
It's generally turning more settled into Easter Bank Holiday weekend - looking drier, with some sunny spells, often cloudy, but less windy. A quieter, calmer weekend to come!
