Summertime? What summertime? 70mph storm to hit Scotland

SCOTLAND’S heatwave is set to end with a bang as a summer storm sweeps in from the Atlantic with gales of up to 70mph.

Gusts will pick up this afternoon but the brunt of the storm – which could pose a ‘danger to life’ in areas – will not be felt until tomorrow’s morning rush-hour.

Met Office forecaster Bonnie Diamond said: ‘This will come as a shock to the system.

‘The change will be felt quite markedly in Scotland, which has enjoyed some of the sunniest and warmest conditions.

‘High pressure is slipping away, leading to a return of the low pressure systems coming in from the Atlantic.

‘Winds will start to pick up on the west coast on Wednesday afternoon and evening, with heavy rain associated with it.’

She added: ‘It will be the early hours of Thursday before they really get going, when gusts of 5060mph can be expected on the western side of the country.

‘Winds will readily move east to affect the rest of Scotland.

‘In Argyll, near Oban, winds could become even stronger with gusts of up to 70mph.’

The Met Office has posted a yellow warning for severe weather that is in effect across Scotland tomorrow. It says road, rail, air and ferry services could be badly affected and buildings may be

damaged, with a slight chance of power cuts in some parts and huge waves in coastal areas.

The Met Office said: ‘There is a small chance of injuries and danger to life from flying debris.’ Oban will be in the eye of the

storm, so West Coast ferries are set to be severely affected.

But the heavy rain will not be unwelcome to all – including gardeners and water firms.

Hardly any rain has fallen so far this month, apart from localised downpours last Saturday during an electrical storm.

Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis, has not had rain for 22 consecutive days.

Scottish Water confirmed that its stocks are low in some areas because of the dry spell.

But a spokesman said: ‘While it has been drier in some areas than others, we are able to manage our resources accordingly.’

Meanwhile, Scotland’s early summer heatwave has sparked a retail boom, with the biggest rise in spending for four years.

Families enjoying the sun in gardens, parks and beaches have been forking out for barbecue food and drinks.

Summer furniture and clothing has also been selling well. Craig Cavin, head of retail in Scotland for accountant KPMG, welcomed the figures, released by the Scottish Retail Consortium.

He said: ‘Following a challenging April, retailers can breathe a sigh of relief after May delivered a much-needed sales uplift.

‘Multiple Bank Holidays, coupled with an extended period of warm weather, contributed to the 2.3 per cent increase – the highest we’ve seen since 2014.

‘The sun shining inevitably drove Scots outdoors, with weekend picnics and bank holiday barbecues helping to drive a 4.2 per cent growth in food sales.

‘Non-food also benefited from the sunshine, with more footfall at the shops resulting in a noticeable increase in summer range sales.’