BANK HOLIDAY TRAFFIC JAMS AS SOUTH WALES BASKS IN SUNSHINE
IT’S been a stunning weekend for sun-lovers, but experts have said it won’t last.
It has been a rare sunny bank holiday in Wales, with temperatures above average for the time of year at 26C.
The sun has seen a welcome boost for Welsh businesses.
Barbara Angell, 57, is landlady at the Gwaelod y Garth Inn near Cardiff. They had organised a cider and sausage festival for the bank holiday.
She said: “Business has been amazing, we’ve had a lovely bit of sun.
“It was probably better than last year – our outdoor area was packed. There have been a lot of thirsty walkers and cyclists”.
It not just bars and pubs which saw extra visitors making the most of the weather. St Fagans National Museum of History also had a bumper day.
Robert Davies, assistant visitor services representative at the museum, said: “People have been like, ‘well it’s the last weekend of the summer – let’s go.’
“I thought that people would have opted for the beach, but we’ve had a good turnout here. Over 16,000 have visited us this weekend, so it’s been a good one.”
But the glorious weather has meant a busy weekend for some emergency services.
Rescuers at Penarth Lifeboat Station had to save three adults and a child who got stuck on Sully Island on Sunday.
They were also called to rescue a couple on Thursday night.
A spokesperson said: “We launched on service shortly after 8.15pm on Sunday, August 27, to reports of people in the water at Sully Island, together with our flank station Barry Dock Lifeboat Station.
“A number of people had been on the island, some just made it back to the mainland but a further three adults and a child were rescued by the D-class lifeboat and returned to the mainland.
“We would urge anyone trapped on the island not to try to get back across the flooded causeway.”
There were also delays for people leaving Barry Island on bank holiday Monday.
Cardiff Bus reported delays to their services due to “gridlocked” roads.
However, the sunny weather will change this week.
A Met Office spokesman said: “A very weak front will move across Wales on Tuesday.
“All in all, it will be a cloudy morning for most parts of Wales, with fits and starts of rain.
“By the afternoon things may brighten up in the north-west. The highest temperatures will be 20C in Cardiff.”
By the middle of the week, Wales can expect to see some heavy rain.
“Through the course of the day will see an improvement, although the south-eastern areas will remain quite cloudy. Wednesday will be the worst day of the week,” the Met Office spokesman said.
However, by the weekend, the sunshine is expected to return.