Scots set for 3 more dry weeks!

Families urged to water trees to stop them dying Heatwave could match legendary summer of ’76 Glorious sunshine ‘will last till end of the month’

SCOTLAND is set to avoid rain until the end of the month as forecasters predict the heatwave will continue.

The Met Office has said the current conditions will last throughout July into August – potentially rivalling the summer of 1976.

Some areas of the country have been without rain for more than two weeks.

Members of the public are being asked to take watering cans into the street to prevent trees dying.

Scots were also urged not to take baths to save dwindling water supplies.

Meanwhile, a 25-year-old man has died in Loch Lomond while swimming at the popular tourist spot as temperatures soared yesterday.

SCOTLAND has now gone more than two weeks without rain amid fears of dwindling water supplies as the blistering heatwave continues.

Forecasters say the last significant rainfall across the country came 16 days ago on June 20 – and most measuring stations have registered nothing since.

Scots were urged earlier this week not to take baths to save dwindling water supplies, as the country’s water quango acknowledged the impact of the scorching conditions.

It is being seen as a possible first step towards mandatory water restrictions, similar to those imposed in Northern Ireland last weekend.

Meanwhile, gardeners have been warned that trees could begin dying because of a lack of water, with saplings planted within the past 18 months at particular risk. The warning comes as Scotland enjoys high temperatures and amid predictions that the fine weather will last until the end of the month.

Yesterday, the Met Office confirmed that virtually no rain has fallen on Scotland. Spokesman Grahame Madge, said: ‘From June 21 to yesterday most stations have recorded 0mm or under 1mm in total.

‘Only stations in the Northern and Western Isles have recorded up to 13mm during that period.’

Meanwhile, the public are being asked to take watering cans into the street to prevent trees dying in the scorching summer heatwave.

William Hinchliffe, of the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, said councils planting trees fail to provide them with enough water to survive.

He said: ‘Anything planted in the 2017 or 2018 planting season are now suffering because they are not being watered. If you walk through any city you will see newly planted trees struggling. People need to look after young trees which are toiling in the heat.

‘They can do their bit by going outside in the street and take a couple of watering cans.’

The Met Office does not hold out any prospect of much-needed rain in the forseeable future.

In fact, forecasters are compiling data which is beginning to resemble a heatwave pattern not seen since the legendary summer of 1976.

Mr Madge said: ‘At the moment, we can see no appreciable rain for the majority of the UK.

‘We have a ridge building up from the South-West of England. This will bring in another area of high pressure, with associated warmth and sunshine and a distinct lack of rain.

‘In terms of similarities to 1976, you have to remember that this was a prolonged period of hot, dry, weather.

‘We measure heatwaves by looking at the number of consecutive days when the temperature has reached 28C (82F) somewhere in the UK.

‘In 1976, there were two spells when this happened, in August and a period which straddled June and July. If we get to the end of next week on this current run, we will be nearing one of those records.’

Earlier this week, Scottish Water urged people to try to reduce the amount of water they use.

Demand for water in Scotland has surged by 30 per cent in recent weeks, with customers drawing an extra 31million gallons (140million litres) per day from reservoirs.

Pumping stations are said to be working ‘near to capacity’ to satisfy demand, with reservoir levels falling.