23/03/2016 BBC Wales Today


23/03/2016

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Welcome to Wales Today.

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Tonight's headlines:

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Martin Bowen stabbed his ex-partner -

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the police watchdog criticises three Gwent officers for not doing enough

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to keep her safe in the days before.

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And a report says Cardiff Airport's missing passenger targets and lacks

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a long-term plan to grow.

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Good evening.

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Three Gwent Police officers took insufficient action to safeguard

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a woman from Newport, who was later stabbed

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by her ex-partner.

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That's the finding of an investigation

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by the police watchdog.

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Christine Evans called for help after 24-year-old Martin Bowen began

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texting her, in breach of a harassment warning.

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But officers didn't go to her home, and hours later, Bowen

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stabbed her multiple times.

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Carys Notley reports.

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Martin Bowen's violent past was known to police.

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They knew his former partner Christine Evans

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was at high risk of harm from him.

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When Christine called for help, she should have received a priority

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response.

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They failed to get to her before Bowen stabbed her in

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the neck and chest.

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The case prompted a review by the Independent Police Complaints

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Commission, which found a lack of understanding and confusion

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amongst officers around risk assessments and some failures

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to follow force policies and procedures.

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From the start, from the time Ms Evans contacted the control

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room, through to the response, through to the way

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in which all involved in Ms Evans dealt with her, they failed

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to safeguard her.

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Charities say they are concerned cases like Christine's

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could deter others from seeking help.

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We are concerned that it could put people off

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reporting abuse,

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which we very much don't want to happen.

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We know that there have been a lot of improvements.

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But the IPCC commissioner points out this

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isn't the first time Gwent Police's poor handling of domestic abuse

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cases have been criticised.

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The force was criticised for the way it

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dealt with the murder of Caroline Parry, shot dead

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by her esranged husband near her home in Newport in 2013.

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There were similarities between the cases.

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I wrote to the Chief Constable and highlighted the fact

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that the force really needed to go back to the beginning,

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overhaul all its systems and processes.

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Gwent police who referred the actions of the offices

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Gwent police who referred the actions of the officers

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to the IPCC says it has taken action against those involved

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in the case of Christine Evans and has made dramatic operational

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and organisational changes to address

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the issues raised.

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They added they are constantly trying to do their best on behalf

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of the public.

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Christine Evans survived the attack, a crime for which Martin Bowen

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is now serving an eight-year sentence.

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The former footballer, Ched Evans, won't hear if his appeal

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against his rape conviction is successful until next month.

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Judges at the Court of Appeal reserved judgment

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following the two-day hearing which included new evidence.

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The prosecution has indicated it would seek a retrial

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if the appeal succeeds.

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The Wales International was jailed in 2012 for raping a 19-year-old

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at a hotel in Rhuddlan.

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A woman from Machynlleth has been charged with attempted murder,

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after a man was stabbed at one of the UK's main athletics stadiums.

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41-year-old Lauren Jeska is accused of attacking him

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at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham yesterday.

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Police say he's in a stable condition.

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Ms Jeska is due before magistrates tomorrow.

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Cardiff Airport's missing its passenger targets and lacks

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a long-term plan to expand - that's according to a group

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of Assembly Members.

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But the Public Accounts Committee said the reasons for

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the Welsh Government's purchase of the airport were clear,

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and the ?52 million cost could be justified.

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More from our Business Correspondent, Brian Meechan.

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More and more of us are using Cardiff airport.

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New routes are being added and facilities are being

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improved.

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But it hasn't been meeting the target originally set for it

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by the Welsh government, which bought it in 2013.

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In the most recent financial year, 1 million passengers went

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through the airport.

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By 2018 that is due to grow to 1.4 million a year.

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The original projection was for 2 million travellers

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by that point.

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The Public Accounts Committee has challenged those figures.

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It was clear from the evidence we received

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It was clear from the evidence we received

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as a committee that basically the Welsh government figures

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were overly optimistic at the time that the

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airport was purchased so on that basis it was difficult

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and was always going to be difficult for the airport to achieve

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the figures that had been placed in the business

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plan.

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Assembly members are concerned there is no long-term plan

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for the airport and they want to see more experts on the board.

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The committee of assembly members concluded that the ?52

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million price tag for this airport could be justified and the reasons

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for buying it were clear.

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They did also hear from an expert who said that a private commercial

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company wouldn't have paid that price for it.

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Flybe recently announced a series of new European routes,

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celebrating with a traditional water cannon salute.

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The Welsh government says the airport

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would have closed if it hadn't stepped in to buy it.

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Flybe has announced it will be flying four

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times a day from Cardiff to London City Airport for six weeks

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from September, when the Severn rail tunnel is closed so rails can be

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electrified.

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The airport managing director says developing new routes

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is part of the long-term plan.

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We had 21% growth last year, which I think is phenomenal

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in our business.

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We have 15 new routes and we have introduced new destinations

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so I think in terms of the business, we

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are on an upward trajectory.

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Many businesses will be hoping the new

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Cardiff to London route could continue beyond the six weeks

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announced and for the airport a sign of a future direction rather

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than the assessment of the past.

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One lane of the A55 remains closed in both directions tonight

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after a chemical spill from a lorry in Conwy.

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The road was first shut yesterday morning and traffic has remained

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slow after thousands of gallons leaked from the tanker onto the road

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between Colwyn Bay and Llanddulas.

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Hundreds of Welsh farmers have been in London as part of a rally

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to raise awareness of the crisis they say is facing the industry.

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Dairy farmers say they're struggling to cope with fluctuating milk

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prices, and warn of "devastation" for west Wales if the situation

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doesn't improve.

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Around ?2,000 farmers and supporters marched to Downing Street.

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World Rugby has confirmed England's Joe Marler WILL face

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an independent misconduct hearing, for comments made towards Wales'

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Samson Lee during the Six Nations match at Twickenham

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earlier this month.

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The Six Nations decided NOT to punish Marler but the sport's

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governing body says it's exercising its right to take what it

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describes as appropriate action.

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Wales Manager Chris Coleman says playing at the European

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Championships behind closed doors would be a sad day for the sport.

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European Football's governing body, Uefa, has insisted there are NO

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plans to play matches at Euro 2016 at empty stadia,

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in response to the increased security threat.

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It comes after a senior Uefa official failed to rule out staging

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games without fans.

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The weather forecast now and with news of a change

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on the way, here's Derek.

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After a week or two of dry weather, things are about to change and it's

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back to normal tomorrow for some wind and rain on the way.

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Maybe the odd light shower in places this

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evening but no more than that.

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For most of us a dry night with a few

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gaps in the cloud.

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Chilly inland. 6 degrees on Gower.

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Tomorrow morning is dry for most of us first thing

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but it won't last.

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Rain will spread from the West during the morning

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with winds picking up.

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Across the rest of the UK south-east England

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and East Anglia is dry and bright but rain will spread eastwards

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during the day with freshening winds.

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The rain clearing to showers in Northern Ireland in the afternoon

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with a top temperature of 10 Celsius in Belfast.

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Closer to home, cloudy with outbreaks of rain

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in the afternoon.

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Worst of the rain in the south and West.

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Less rain in the East in the shadow.

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Tomorrow evening further outbreaks of rain for most

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of us but overnight drier and clearer whether it will spread

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from the north-west with temperatures in Gwynedd

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dropping to three Celsius.

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Good Friday will be a much nicer day, dry and bright with sunshine

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and light winds and it will feel like spring with a high of 12

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Celsius in Flintshire.

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A different kettle of fish for Saturday.

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Wet and windy with heavy rain clearing in two showers

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by the evening.

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For Easter Day on Sunday, a mixture of sunshine and showers,

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heavy in places with hail and under possible

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and gusty winds.

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On Good Friday it will be the best day of the Easter

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holiday weekend.

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On bank holiday Monday low-pressure looks like

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bringing another spell of rain with strong wind.

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Enjoy Good Friday if you can.

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We're back with updates in breakfast from 6:00am tomorrow morning.

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But that's Wales Today.

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