23C weekend will see Scotland put Barcelona in shade
SCOTLAND will be even hotter than Barcelona this weekend as summer temperatures continue to soar.
The fine weather of the last few days is also expected to continue into next week, according to forecasters.
Consistent highs of 23C have been predicted for today and tomorrow, but temperatures are expected to rise yet again to around 24C in some places on Monday.
This will put Barcelona, in Spain, which is expected to peak at around 22C over the weekend, firmly in the shade.
Yesterday, Scottish sun seekers flocked to beaches and parks across the country to soak up the rays.
Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens were packed with people making the best of the weather as temperatures soared above 20C.
In Edinburgh, three-year-old Amelia enjoyed a paddle at Cramond beach.
Weather experts explained that an area of high pressure is behind the fine, sunny conditions much of the country has enjoyed for the last week.
Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said: ‘It’s all pretty settled and stable due to an area of high pressure which is sitting to the north west which is known as a blocking high.
‘There are a couple of these around the world and at the moment one is sat near the UK.
‘As they establish themselves and dominate more and more they bat away other low pressure systems.
‘It means there will be plenty of sunshine over the next few days.’
The west is expected to see the best of the weather, with slightly cooler conditions along the east due to a coastal breeze.
Temperatures peaked at 22.5C yesterday in Tyndrum, Perthshire, which on Thursday recorded the UK’s hottest day so far this year, at 24.8C.
The heatwave follows a drier than average May, which saw Scotland receive less than half the expected rainfall.
The north of Scotland in particular experienced its driest spring since 2018. Parched Inverness was the driest area in the UK with just a third of the normally anticipated rainfall for the time of year.
No significant rainfall has been forecast in the near future, but the weather could break slightly by early next week.
Mr Claydon added: ‘By Monday we could see
some showers begin to develop due to some moist air moving in from the Atlantic, although at the moment this is quite uncertain. There is still a lot of sunshine around and temperatures could hit 24C.’
Earlier this week, Scotland basked in highs of nearly 25C, making the country warmer than a host of favourite hotspots including Faro in Portugal, Los Angeles in California, as well as Tenerife in the Canary Islands and the Spanish capital Madrid.
During the heatwave last July, Scotland recorded its hottest day on record when temperatures soared above 35C.
On July 19, Met Office officials were astonished to record a temperature of 35.1C at Floors Castle in Kelso, Roxburghshire.
Parts of England also sweltered in temperatures exceeding 40C and wildfires broke out across the country.
This led to the hard-pressed fire service in London seeing its busiest day since the Second World War, receiving 2,000 more calls than it would on a usual day.
Sixteen firefighters were injured tackling blazes in London, and two of them were admitted to hospital.