Summer’s (brief ) appearance

IT has been a less than sensational summer, short on sunshine and sizzling temperatures – but as many Scots pupils return to school today, the sun is finally putting in an appearance.

Forecasters predict that today and tomorrow will bring the glorious weather the country has been waiting for, with temperatures as high as 75f (24c).

An area of high pressure will allow hot air to waft over the UK from France, as southeasterly winds replace the westerlies which have caused such unsettled conditions.

The short-lived heatwave will come as welcome relief to the West Highlands and Western Isles, which were deluged last week. Rail services between Fort William and Mallaig were still disrupted yesterday following a landslide near Lochailort. Both road and rail links were severed when 100 tons of mud and rock washed on to the A830 ‘Road to the Isles’ last Thursday evening, when heavy rain caused a hillside to collapse.

A 60-mile detour via the A861 through Ardnamurchan was set up to provide the only passable route round the obstruction, between the Lochailort and Drumsallie junctions, adding around an hour-and-ahalf to journeys.

But by tomorrow, the fishing port of Mallaig looks set to enjoy unbroken sunshine and a high of 72f (22c). And even higher temperatures are forecast further east in the sheltered spots of Moray where the mercury is expected to hover around 75f today and tomorrow.

Shops and online retailers had begun offloading garden furniture and barbecues at the weekend, fearing that summer 2016 had already come to an end.

But these are now likely to be in great demand as families make the most of the short, warm spell.

Forecaster Mike Reading of the Met Office in Aberdeen said: ‘The start of the week will produce the best of the conditions by far.

‘Monday will start quite brightly across the country but Tuesday will see even more in the way of sunshine and comfortable temperatures.’