Balmy weather that’s bad news for hedgehogs
HEDGEHOGS could wake from hibernation and starve amid fears soaring temperatures could trick them into thinking spring has arrived. Experts have warned this week’s topsy-turvy weather could play havoc with Mother Nature, with animals and plants believing the seasons have changed.
After weeks of freezing conditions, Scotland was thrown into an unseasonably warm and balmy spell yesterday. The long period of crisp sunshine was replaced with rain and drizzle across most of the country.
Aviemore, Inverness-shire, witnessed a 21C increase in temperature in the space of 24 hours, from -9C (16F) on Tuesday morning to 12C (54F) yesterday.
Lossiemouth in Moray was the hottest part of the UK at 61F (16.3C) – warmer than the North African city of Algiers.
David Wembridge, survey officer for the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species, said hedgehogs would quickly use up body fat that has to last them until March.
Mr Wembridge said: ‘Warmer days like we have been experiencing may see them getting out and about.
‘If there is not enough food and they start using up their energy, there is less chance they will survive the winter. ’
George Anderson, a presenter of the BBC’s Beechgrove Garden, said: ‘A “false spring” will see some plants come into leaf and then get hit by a severe frost.’
He added: ‘Quite a lot of damage can occur because they are coming out of dormancy.’
Glasgow and Edinburgh also experienced unusually warm weather yesterday, with highs of 57F (14C), the same as Rome, while the 59F (15C) recorded in Inverness put it on a par with Barcelona.
The norm in Scotland for this time of year is 5.5C (41F).
Meanwhile, the country’s highest village has witnessed a 50F swing in the space of only two weeks.
Last month, Wanlockhead was covered in snow and ice, recording a temperature of -14C (7F). But yesterday the Dumfriesshire village was under a blanket of warm fog as the mercury hit 14C (57F).
James McKelvey, 45, who runs the Wanlockhead Inn, said: ‘Last year it was really heavy snow, 6ft plus. This time of year it should be snowy. I’d rather it was snowing than this watered-down drizzle.’
The warm conditions are a result of a series of weather events, some taking place as far away as Canada.
A vast cold front moving down the US continent is nudging the course of the jetstream. The resulting kink in this fast-flowing ribbon of air to the north of Scotland is drawing warm air from France and Spain.
Meteorologist Alex Deakin said: ‘It really doesn’t feel as if Christmas is only a few weeks away.’
Winds of up to 70mph were expected to hit exposed parts of the north-west last night before moderating today.
Oli Claydon of the Met Office said: ‘The high temperatures won’t stick around. They will dip towards the weekend, when they will return to near-normal.’