If you're involved with Bat Surveys, you'll know the importance of having a reliable record of weather data.

Scottish Natural Heritage have produced best practice guidance for developers and planners to ensure that onshore wind energy developments post minimal risk to bats.

Section 5.2.6 states: Weather data including wind speed, temperature and rainfall are important for the interpretation of bat activity data, and should be recorded nightly for all types of bat survey. The use of automated weather meters is strongly encouraged, and it is suggested that more than one unit is deployed per site to allow for equipment failures.

See the full guidance on the nature.scot website

We have many customers who find a 

We may find a number of elements causing problems outside in the garden during the winter months. These include frost, and penetrating cold, high winds, heavy snow and heavy rain causing waterlogged ground.

Usually dry winters present the least problem, not least because even a dry winter sees far less water loss through evaporation and transporation than even a mid autumn month. However, with dry winters can come chill northerly or easterly winds of course. Whilst very cold weather is often blamed for plant loss, in fact it's usually the combination of the wind with very cold temperatures. Such early cold in November and early December is particularly problematic, as deciduous plants are very  vulnerable then- because they are not yet fully dormant. Longer periods of severe weather (of more than a week) will also likely be damaging later in the winter. It is possible to minimise the damage likely by both wind and penetrating cold, though.

Strong

October is when we see the nights draw in rapidly and daylight quickly diminishes. So if you have a garden -and more importantly the time!- time to start on the autumn chores, gather up all the garden waste and have a bonfire. Although its not considered especially ecologically sound anymore to have them,  I have to admit to still getting very nostalgic about the tradition, something about the smell of woodsmoke in the autumn drifting through the countryside seems quintessentially 'English' (and quite possibly Irish, Welsh & Scottish too, if you are from those areas!) .

As I mentioned though, local councils do encourage gardeners to reduce waste by composting as much of the refuse as possible especially plants waste. You can buy compost bins from your local Community Recycling Centre if you wish to keep it a little tidier. (look at your local council website or phone up to see what is available; some will even deliver them to you free of charge)

If you decide to go ahead

By October it's time to start tidying up the garden in preparation for the long relatively sunless and perhaps wet winter period ahead. Jobs can be divided into those that tidy up the garden after summer, those that allow it to hibernate over the winter period and jobs which prepare it for the coming spring and summer.

For autumn:

You'll need to split and divide herbaceous plants whilst weeding and mulching the border. Remember to remove diseased plants (or parts of plants) so they cannot propagate any further or spread the infection to other healthy plants. Winter is a prime time for this to occur. You'll need to check bushes and trees for stability, especially those that have grown a lot during the last summer and prop them up or re-stake

As well as our professional range of products on our Weather Shop website, you may find that our EnviroMonitors website best suits your requirements.

EnviroMonitors is our technical products site which specifically focuses equipment for monitoring & control in the horticultural, agricultural & turf sectors within the UK. We are the distributors for the UK and Eire for Spectrum Technologies.

Last month we talked about some of the ways to get forecast weather information of specific use to the marine community. As I mentioned then though, if you know your met well enough then you'll be able to supplement the forecast with information on the hoof, interpreting changes to the weather as you go along.

What then are some of the signs that can warn you in advance of the imminent development of stormy weather, that for smaller craft and crew can cause the most problems?

Generally, sea and swell will take their time to rise and you can usually be aware of these changes enough in advance to head for port. However the most rapid changes usually occur when atmospheric conditions cause sudden squalls and thunderstorms. These are often linked to frontal passages and again, a quick check on the forecast weather chart will usually show if you are likely to encounter them on your journey. A cold front in particular will often give squalls and heavy

The main problems associated with damp gardens in the summer often hinge on the flora being too close, so you need to ensure that areas of denser foilage are well ventilated. In the summer garden you do need to catch disease as soon as you spot it, as it can take hold surprisingly rapidly in a relatively warm damp environment.

Particular diseases to look out for, in warm damp summer weather, include rose blackspot (small dark spots appear on the leaves which may turn yellow and fall off as spores are carried in water splashes); firelight, unusual but it attacks pear trees, hawthorne and cotoneaster and apples and pyracantha. Branches wilt and the leaves turn a burnt chestnut colour, spreading down the main trunk until the whole tree looks burnt. It is mainly carried by pollinating  insects and by raindrops between June and September.

Downy mildew is a late spring/early summer fungal disease that appears as an off white rather 'fluffy' growth underneath

April is generally the first month when you can actually start working in the garden again with some degree of comfort. It's great to get back outside in what is finally really warm Spring sunshine.

It's a really colourful month too ~ spring flowering versions of azaleas, rhododendrons & magnolias all start to come out. Time to feed the plants too. You should fertilise most annual, perennial and flowering shrubs and trees with a good plant food which will release nitrogen, potash, iron and other micro-nutrients slowly over the next few months to help the plants growth and overall development. Evergreens and deciduous shrubs and trees can be fed now as well with tree and shrub food, again it'll slowly release the above nutrients to help the plants development. If you have planted anything new this season use a starter plant food (preferably at the time of planting) so root growth is encouraged.

Freshly mulch flower beds: you may want to add a