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The initial grid fill is not too hard, but I'm completely stumped by the next step.

Could someone give me a hint?

Thanks.

The message is coded in the usual way and starts in the usual place, but it runs in a direction appropriate to the thematic weather.

Could someone suggest a starting point please?

Given that clues are presented in ascending order of their answers then there is only one possible value for 1d (N^4). Knowing that this is the fifth largest two-digit answer makes solving the first 4 clues relatively trivial.

I have the last part of the second stage (2 words, 3-digit number, 3 words, all of which makes sense) and the first part (one word, 2-digit number ... then a few bits of nonsense immediately after the 2-digit number). What am I missing - and, yes, I've checked that the grid is filled correctly first time round.

cockie,

I still dont' see how to decode, or where to start?

Your 'nonsense' is a single word (mentioned in the first paragraph of the preamble) comprising 14 digits in the grid. Demeter, the first 3 letters of the message are all after J in the alphabet :-)

Sorry to be so slow, but I still don't get it.

Does the first part start 'PRO . . ' ?

I've got the first few clues, which have given a few odd figures through the grid but I'm at a loss how to continue from here. Trial and error seems the most likely way forward but it's really tedious and I'm sure there is some logical step I'm failing to see. Can someone please give me a pointer.

Hello Escuan,

Which letters do you have? There is only one solution for N and this should lead you to the only solution for 8ac.
n is one of two possibilities, in this case the lower of the two, which should lead you to only two possibilities for R and r (both possible to start with but after a couple of checks you should see which one is r and which one is R).
That should lead you to solving T and t next, then m, then u.