Mercury forecast to hit 29C midweek

Scotland is expected to bask in its warmest day of the year so far on Wednesday with temperatures likely to touch 29C.

This week’s heatwave is forecast to top the summer’s highest reading so far, of 27.5C at Achnagart, south-east of Kyle of Lochalsh, on 29 May.

The Met Office said 28-29C was possible quite widely over inland areas such as Glasgow, Deeside, Moray and south of Inverness. However, it will remain some way off Scotland’s temperature record, of 32.9C at Greycrook, near St Boswells in the Borders, in August 2003.

A Met Office spokesman said: “It is most likely that temperatures will peak on Wednesday in the mid to high 20s. It will be cooler on coasts.”

Network Rail said an amber alert had been issued for Scotland for today and tomorrow, when rail temperatures were expected to exceed 45C.

Motherwell is likely to be the hottest area of the rail network, with speed restrictions being introduced and sets of points vulnerable to expansion being painted white to deflect the heat.

Some work on the Glasgow-london west coast main line near Preston was postponed at the weekend to avert the need for speed restrictions on newly-laid sections of track.