| Cwmystwyth | |
|---|---|
 A view towards Cwmystwyth, looking south-east | |
  Cwmystwyth Location withinCeredigion | |
| OS grid reference | SN789740 |
| • Cardiff | 90 mi (140 km)SE |
| Principal area | |
| Preserved county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Aberystwyth |
| Postcode district | SY23 |
| Dialling code | 01974 |
| Police | Dyfed-Powys |
| Fire | Mid and West Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| UK Parliament | |
| Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament | |
| |
Cwmystwyth (alsoCwm Ystwyth,Welsh pronunciation:[kʊmˈəstʊɨθ]; English:"valley of theRiver Ystwyth") is a village inCeredigion, Wales nearDevil's Bridge, andPont-rhyd-y-groes.
TheOrdnance Survey calculates Cwmystwyth to be thecentre point of Wales (52°19′48.791″N3°45′59.072″W / 52.33021972°N 3.76640889°W /52.33021972; -3.76640889 (Centre of Wales);grid referenceSN7972871704).[1]
Discovery of small, oval-shaped stone tools in the area points to the fact that it has been mined for lead since the time of ancientBritons and duringRoman occupation. Documentation of mining activities occurred during the reign ofElizabeth I. She engaged the services of two German miners, then went on to sub-let to Hugh Myddleton.[2]
The only significant flat area of the cwm is found before the river reaches maturity nearTrawsgoed some 6 miles (9.7 km) further west. Above the village to the east steep slopes rise to theElenydd moors, above the cwm of the Nant Milwyn, at the head of the hill of Domen Milwyn.
Cwmystwyth experiences anoceanic climate (Köppen climate classificationCfb) similar to almost all of Wales and the United Kingdom. This translates to a narrow range of temperatures, rainfall in all seasons and low sunshine levels, particularly at upland locations such as inland Wales.
The Met Office maintains a weather station in the village, with online climate records dating back to 1959. Temperatures range from an absolute high of 32.3 °C (90.1 °F) recorded during July 2006,[3] down to an absolute low of −16.7 °C (1.9 °F), recorded during January 1963.[4] During an 'average' year, the warmest day will likely reach 26.1 °C (79.0 °F)[5] and the coldest night fall to −8.0 °C (17.6 °F).[6] In total just over 3 days[7] should record a temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above, and 53.5 nights[8] should report an air frost.
Rainfall, as one might expect for an elevated place in Wales, is high, at nearly 2,000 millimetres (79 in) a year. At least 1 millimetre (0.039 in) will be observed on 196 days[9] of the year, on average. All averages refer to the period 1991–2020.
| Climate data for Cwmystwyth: 301 m (988 ft) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1959-2011 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.1 (59.2) | 16.5 (61.7) | 20.6 (69.1) | 23.8 (74.8) | 25.0 (77.0) | 29.6 (85.3) | 32.3 (90.1) | 30.4 (86.7) | 27.8 (82.0) | 23.8 (74.8) | 18.7 (65.7) | 13.3 (55.9) | 32.3 (90.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.5 (43.7) | 6.8 (44.2) | 8.8 (47.8) | 11.6 (52.9) | 14.6 (58.3) | 17.0 (62.6) | 18.4 (65.1) | 18.1 (64.6) | 16.2 (61.2) | 12.7 (54.9) | 9.3 (48.7) | 7.2 (45.0) | 12.3 (54.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.9 (39.0) | 4.0 (39.2) | 5.4 (41.7) | 7.6 (45.7) | 10.3 (50.5) | 12.8 (55.0) | 14.6 (58.3) | 14.3 (57.7) | 12.4 (54.3) | 9.6 (49.3) | 6.5 (43.7) | 4.5 (40.1) | 8.8 (47.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.2 (34.2) | 1.2 (34.2) | 2.1 (35.8) | 3.5 (38.3) | 6.0 (42.8) | 8.7 (47.7) | 10.8 (51.4) | 10.5 (50.9) | 8.7 (47.7) | 6.5 (43.7) | 3.7 (38.7) | 1.8 (35.2) | 5.4 (41.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −16.7 (1.9) | −13.3 (8.1) | −13.9 (7.0) | −6.6 (20.1) | −3.5 (25.7) | −2.2 (28.0) | 0.6 (33.1) | 0.5 (32.9) | −3.0 (26.6) | −3.9 (25.0) | −10.7 (12.7) | −11.5 (11.3) | −16.7 (1.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 188.8 (7.43) | 155.0 (6.10) | 134.2 (5.28) | 103.6 (4.08) | 106.4 (4.19) | 120.0 (4.72) | 136.5 (5.37) | 135.1 (5.32) | 146.7 (5.78) | 192.0 (7.56) | 211.9 (8.34) | 215.5 (8.48) | 1,845.6 (72.66) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 18.8 | 16.1 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 15.7 | 16.3 | 15.0 | 17.6 | 19.8 | 19.8 | 196.0 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 34.2 | 59.2 | 94.3 | 141.4 | 173.6 | 154.6 | 147.7 | 136.1 | 115.0 | 83.1 | 45.0 | 28.8 | 1,213.1 |
| Source 1:Met Office[10] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Starlings Roost Weather[11] | |||||||||||||
