AS HOT AS RIO!
Wales gets ready for a real scorcher
SOME parts of Wales could be as hot as Rio de Janeiro today, with temperatures soaring to 25°C. There will be an abundance of sunshine to go with the hot temperatures but there could be a risk of some showers in isolated parts.
After a cloudy start to yesterday, it will turn into a promising rest of the weekend that could rival the Brazilian city, according to the Met Office.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: “It looks like a nice, bright, sunny, warm day, with plenty of sunshine across the east of Wales with some clouds in the west at times.
“A lovely day for most, with temperatures raising to 24°C and 25°C, so another pleasant day.
“Once again this may trigger one or two heavy showers, most likely in the southern parts of Wales into the evening.
“Most places should stay mainly dry, with plenty of sunshine around.”
But in certain parts of Wales the hot weather also means the development of what people have described as sewage or slurry on beaches and in the water.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) wanted to reassure beach-goers that Welsh beaches are clean and healthy, despite some appearances of the foamy substance which has been spotted, particularly in Pembrokeshire.
Concerns were looked into and there was found to be tiny, naturally occurring algae, called Phaeocystis and Chaetocerus, that thrive in warm weather conditions.
NRW said algae is often mistaken for sewage or other pollution because of its oily appearance and its slight seaweed-like smell.
Beaches where algae sightings of Phaeocystis have been confirmed are Barafundle, Cwm-yr-Eglwys, Freshwater East, Lydstep, Newgale, and Tenby but officers believe more could be affected if the warm weather continues.
Sightings are currently confined to South Wales.
The algae found at Southerndown is Chaetocerus, which looks slightly differently to Phaeocystis.
Phaeocystis forms the bottom of the food chain, supporting a wealth of marine wildlife like fish, birds and dolphins.
Rod Thomas, senior environment officer for Natural Resources Wales, said: “We have fantastic beaches in Wales and really great water quality, with around 80% of bathing waters reaching the highest European standards for cleanliness.
“At this time of year we do get some reports, we treat each one seriously and assess every report.
“Despite its unpleasant appearance, most of the reports we receive turn out to be this common algae.
“Warm weather provides the conditions for the algae to occur and it will disperse naturally over time.”
Anyone who is concerned or wants to report a sighting can contact Natural Resources Wales’ incident hotline on 0800 807060.