This weekend, for those of you who don't know, has seen the vernal equinox come and go, when day and night are the same length as the sun crosses the equator moving north.

Many years ago the spring equinox was a marker for the first planting of new seeds. The ancient goddess, Easter, a Saxon deity who marked not only the passage of time but also symbolized new life and fertility, was the key symbol of this celebration. Legend has it that the goddess was saved by a bird whose wings had become frozen by the cold of winter.

This process turned the bird into a hare. Yet this was no ordinary hare: this long-eared rabbit could also lay eggs!

The main symbols for Easter are the egg, for new life or beginnings, and the rabbit/hare, for fertility.

So for the northern hemisphere it's a time of hope. Spring has arrived by mid-march we crave lighter evenings, warmer days and pleasant spring sunshine

For the superstitious among you the occurrence of both the vernal and autumnal equinoxes are marked by severe storms. The transition from winter to spring can often be a bumpy one but has nothing to do with the sun's crossing of the equator. Stormy weather at any time of year depends on atmospheric conditions and is completely independent of a precise calendar date.

Mother Nature was determined to leave an impression yesterday with the weather causing mayhem across the country. It was a stormy day with gale force winds, and rain at times with hail, thunder and snow across the hills of Scotland. Several people were killed due to falling trees, treacherous road conditions and flying debris as gusts of winds were recorded up to 85mph.

I'm pleased to say the forecast for the week is for winds to ease but we could see a return to night time frosts, so eager gardeners beware. Spring may have sprung, with Easter bunnies just around the corner, but when it comes to planting slow and steady wins the race!

Weather News from the last five days:
20/03/2004
19/03/2004
18/03/2004
17/03/2004
16/03/2004

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