Although we think of our year beginning on the first of January and lasting 365 days, the solar year begins and ends with the spring equinox and lasts for 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes and 46 seconds.

It is a good point at which to begin a look at our changing weather through the year because this is when our weather undergoes its biggest changes. As winter high pressure over Europe breaks down and before the Azores High pressure system moves up from the south our weather is at its most unpredictable.

March is the wettest of the winter and spring months whilst in April temperatures can reach as high as 24 degrees but only 3 years ago we had drifting snow on the Mendips.

The biggest jump in temperatures occurs between April and May - the month when we can begin to say goodbye to the cold weather. And then we're into summer. So which is the best month of summer?

It always used to be June but over the last 20 years July has been sunnier. The hottest part of the summer is during Dog Days 3rd July to 11th August. July is our hottest month but the highest temperatures ever recorded in the region were on 3rd August 1990 34 degrees in Bristol, 35 in Yeovil and 37 degrees in Gloucester.

The autumn equinox in late September signals the arrival of autumn and those weather patterns start to break down again. The first of the autumn storms usually appears in October - remember The Great Storm of 1990. November is the month for fog and frost.

The winter solstice around 21st December marks the true beginning of winter. And December is probably the worst of the winter months - its certainly the wettest and dullest, although January is the windiest. And for coldness, rain and winds combined February takes some beating. Which brings us back to March and another spring equinox and another year has gone by.

The weather year has changed in nature over the last half century. The seasons don’t follow the same patterns as they used to. Spring often starts later, summers are warmer, autumn and winter months are wetter and windier. But that is the beauty of our weather - always something different to look forward to.