CHRISTMAS SWIMMERS TAKE THE PLUNGE
IT was the biggest year yet for brave swimmers who took a dip in the Bristol Channel on Christmas morning.
The charity Porthcawl Christmas Morning swim is now in its 53rd year.
This year, there were 1,200 registered swimmers whose brave antics were watched on by 2,500 spectators.
Swimmers and spectators head from right across Britain to take part and watch, while visitors have come along from New Zealand, Canada and Germany, to enjoy the festive fun.
Star Wars characters were out in force, along with swimmers dressed up as Santa, penguins, elves, snowmen, and some even wore their bikinis.
The event got underway at Sandy Bay at 11.45am and the air was filled with carol singing and Christmas music as they rushed into the sea.
Mayor of Porthcawl, Councillor Lorrie Desmond-Williams and Porthcawl Coastguards signalled the start of the parade and cleared a path through the spectators down the beach for the swimmers.
A spokesperson from the swim committee said: “We are delighted with the fantastic turnout.
“The swim is a great family event with many different generations of the same family taking to the sea.
“Many were in fancy dress with lots who followed the organisers theme and dressed as Father Christmas in memory of one of our founder members and original ‘Swim father Christmas’ Jack Bridge, who sadly passed away earlier this year.
“The atmosphere all around the swimmers is very special and hard to explain.”
Last year, £10,000 was raised through the event and organisers were hoping that even more cash would be raised this time around for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Dave King, chairman of the committee who organise the swim, said: “It was tremendous, we recorded that we had 1,200 swimmers, which is more than ever.
“There were no major hiccups, the weather was kind but there was a southerly wind blowing”.
Meanwhile, Wednesday will see the best of the Christmas weather in south Wales with bright sunshine forecast for much of the day. Today will be a mixed bag across the Cardiff area with a cloudy and overcast morning. But forecasters say there will be almost guaranteed downpours from 2pm with a 90% chance of heavy rain from then right through until Wednesday morning.
Higher altitude areas of Rhondda Cynon Taf could see some snow, according to the Met Office, whereas further afield a severe weather warning for snow and rain has been issued for much of Gwent, Monmouthshire and mid Wales from 6pm on this evening until 11am on Wednesday, December 27.
The chief forecaster for the Met Office has advised people to beware if travelling over Boxing Day evening.
He said: “A weather system moving east across southern England is likely to bring a mix of heavy rain and snow. 15-25 mm of rain is likely quite widely within the warning area with some places receiving 30-40mm. As the rain becomes increasingly heavy, it is likely to turn to snow in places, initially over parts of Wales. Snow may fall to increasingly low levels, giving a centimetre or two in places with 2-5cm accumulating locally above 100m, and perhaps 10cm in a few places.”