Chill gives way to sunshine from Spain

SCOTLAND will enjoy warmer conditions and sunshine this weekend as air coming from Spain raises temperatures – and spirits.

After snow fell in parts of the Highlands yesterday, the mercury is expected to soar to 17C (63F) tomorrow with long sunny spells.

Among a number of unusual scenes, newly flowering daffodils at Garve, near Inverness, received a dusting of snow as around of inch carpeted the surrounding countryside.

However, it will all change this weekend as Scotland begins to feel the benefit of warm air drifting up from Iberia.

Temperatures higher than 17C (63F) could produce the warmest day of the year so far, after Threave in Kirkcudbrightshire recorded 17.2C on March 26.

It would also make Scotland warmer than more exotic locations such as Nice, on the French Riviera.

Nicky Maxey of the Met Office said: ‘Scotland is looking at a welcome spell of dry, warm and sunny weather as we go through the weekend. The country’s average temperature for April is 10C (50F), so values are going to be well up on that by Sunday.

‘London could hit 20C (68F) but while Scotland won’t be just as warm, it will feel very pleasant compared to the chilly winds experienced recently.’

She added: ‘Aberdeen will miss out on the heat on Sunday, where it will be 11C to 12C (52-54F) but it will make up for that on Monday, when the city might see 15C to 16C (59-61F).

‘Isolated spots around Glasgow could still see 17C (63F) on Tuesday and Wednesday.’