SUMMER may feel like a distant memory already - but autumn is a spectacular time to capture Mother Nature at her best.

A few weeks ago we told you autumn was set to be a dazzling explosion of colour due to a combination of the wet summer and the late burst of warm, sunny weather in September.

Wet weather earlier in the summer prompted trees to produce a large volume of leaves which they have retained, rather than starting to shed them early as they would in a dry year.

Now the time has come for you to share your pictures capturing those fantastic colours that make autumn such a magical season.

We'll feature our favourites in a special picture round-up - all you need to do is join our Flickr group An Echo Year 2012 and we’ll do the rest!