The weather here in South West Wales is, like the rest of the nation, very mixed. Winters are generally mild and summers cool. Winds blow mainly from the South West bringing plenty of cloud and rain in off the Atlantic.

The wettest places are the Brecon Beacons and the Preseli Mountains in Pembrokeshire. Cwmystwyth has recorded a staggering 1749 mm of rain in a typical year. Towards the coast it's drier, but rainfall is still plentiful.

In Swansea, the average annual rainfall ranges from 1092 mm at Mumbles, and 1219 mm in the city centre, to 1422 mm in northernmost suburbs such as Ynysforgan. While Dale in Pembrokeshire receives 829 mm per year, which makes it a drier location than Plymouth in Devon!

The good news for gardeners and allotment holders is that onshore winds from the sea, and the shelter from cold northerly winds offered by the hills means there is little snowfall over Swansea and Gower. On average, we're only likely to see snow for six days a year, mainly in January and February. And it is even more unusual for Pembrokeshire to be blanketed in the white stuff. Snow is only likely for four days a year in this westerly county. When it does fall, it rarely sticks, and at sea level hardly covers the ground for more than a day or two.

Given the right wind direction Pembrey Sands in Carmarthenshire can be the coldest and warmest place in Wales. This is due to the sandy soils which heat up quickly in the sunshine but loses that warmth rapidly at night.

If you're a sunshine lover then the coast is often the place to head in summer at least. While thunderstorms may develop inland, the coast can be fine and sunny. On average South West Wales enjoys around 7.5 hours of daily sunshine in June and 1.75 hours in December. Average temperatures range from nine celsius in January to a pleasant 20 celsius in July. Paradoxically, the coast is also the place to visit if you don't like the summer heat because sea breezes off the Bristol Channel and the Irish Sea will keep things pleasantly cooler.
During heatwaves inland temperatures can soar into the high twenties or even low thirties during the hottest summers.

Swansea and Gower avoid most extremes of heat or cold. They're protected by the coalfield plateau and the Carmarthen Fans along with the hill ranges of the Brecon Beacons. For example, Swansea's lowest recorded temperature was -10.0º C on January 26th 1945. That same night, Cardiff felt the brunt of a -16.7º C chill. The closeness to the sea is important as it acts like a blanket in winter keeping the coast milder than inland with sea temperatures ranging from an average of 9º C in February to 17º C in July.

The views from the top of the Preselies are superb. On a clear day all of Pembrokeshire is visible, along with the mountains of Snowdonia, and occasionally, even Ireland's Wicklow Hills. Below lies the secluded and richly wooded Gwaun Valley. But, it should never be forgotten that conditions in upland areas can be very different to the coast and the weather can deteriorate rapidly with gales, snow and fog being a hazard.

Gales are likely on up to 30 days a year along the Pembrokeshire coast but the strong winds and summer sea breezes make for ideal surfing conditions with bigger swells and waves at one of the many fine surfing beaches.