Dry sunny spell could mean the hottest June ever

SCOTLAND looks set to enjoy a two-week heatwave, with 77f (25c) temperatures rivalling traditional Mediterranean hotspots as summer finally arrives.

It will be a welcome change after an unsettled period that continues today and tomorrow, seeing a weather warning in place due to concerns over high winds – up to 65mph in exposed places.

But from mid-week, dry weather and consistent sunny spells will see the mercury soar. Forecasters said the good spell could last for a fortnight.

The weather is set to change for the better from Wednesday. By Friday, we should see the hottest day of the year so far. Currently, that is the 73f (22.9c) recorded in Ardeonaig, Perthshire, on April 22.

Met Office forecaster Mark Wilson said: ‘ Monday and Tuesday will be unsettled, with wet and windy weather. There’s a wind warning in place for much of the UK.

‘Given the unseasonable nature of the winds, the public should be aware of the potential for disruption to transport and outdoor activities. Damage to some trees seems likely, given that they are in full leaf.

‘But Wednesday will see a change as pressure starts to build across Britain through the day. It will still be blustery, but after Monday and Tuesday the winds will be noticeably lighter.

‘Temperatures will start to respond to the sunshine and by Friday we could be seeing temperatures in the low to mid-20s.’

he cautioned there is ‘a lot of uncertainty’ as to how much the tempera- ture will soar at this stage – but there is ‘high confidence’ summer is around the corner.

April was the sunniest on record for the UK, with the country enjoying an average of 212 hours of sunshine.

But at the start of May, spring disappeared and Scotland proved to be colder than parts of Alaska. While Anchorage was at 48f (9c), Scotland was shivering in lows of -5.5c.

In recent weeks, the Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for rainfall – so as soon as the high winds die down this week, sun-seekers are expected to flock to parks and beaches to make the most of it.

Mr Wilson said: ‘We are looking at much more summer-like weather and it’s possible it will remain settled for the next couple of weeks.

‘The highest temperature of the year is likely to beaten.’

Bookmakers have slashed the odds on this being the warmest June on record, with Coral claiming: ‘We think it could be the hottest in British history.’

It has cut the odds on the UK experiencing the hottest June since records began in 1910 to 3-1 from 5-1.

It is also offering 10-1 that a British mainland temperature exceeds 100f (37.8c) – and 12-1 that the UK record high of 101.3f (38.5c) is broken.

The Met Office has predicted a hotter than average summer using its three-month outlook, which it sends as a contingency planner to the Government, councils, transport chiefs and the emergency services.

‘Temperatures will start to respond’