Blue skies above and not a cloud to be seen... almost
THERE wasn’t a cloud in the sky – and here’s the proof. As May’s record-breaking heatwave continued yesterday, this remarkable satellite picture showed Britain cloud-free and basking in the sun.
Without any of the usual grey in the sky, Scotland was hotter than Cyprus, Italy and Majorca. In fact, the only bad weather on yesterday’s weather map was a tiny patch of cloud hovering over the Shetland Isles. Elsewhere beaches and parks were crammed with sun seekers as the country bathed in 75f (24c) heat.
Others soaked up the sun at home – many sparking up the barbecue for the first time this year – while thirsty Scots celebrated by racking up a £20 million bill in pubs and beer gardens.
And forecasters are confident the glorious weather will return for the Diamond Jubilee weekend. The Met Office reported ‘unbroken sunshine’ as temperatures soared past the May average.
The Ayrshire coast yesterday caught the best of the sunshine, with mercury readings of 79f (26c) matching those in Alexandria, Egypt.
Further north, Fort William and Oban enjoyed conditions in the mid to high 70s (24-25c), higher than many parts of the Mediterranean.
This week’s peak in Scotland was 83.6f (28.7c) in Kinlochewe, Wester Ross, on Friday. Last weekend parts of the Highlands had snow, with temperatures struggling to get above 46f (8c).
Met Office forecaster Gordon McKinstry said: ‘The average for May is about 15c but we have this high pressure in place over Scotland and that’s giving us high temperatures and blue skies.
‘We may see a colder edge to temperatures in the early part of the week, with perhaps a few showers on Wednesday. But by next weekend, we can expect temperatures well into the 70s.’
Thanks to yesterday’s weather, Scotland’s seaside resorts and tourist attractions received a £100 million boost.
Phil Mancini, 54, who owns an ice cream parlour in Ayr, had to hire extra staff to cope with the crowds.
He said: ‘The people are loving it down here. They are all piling into the water in sun dresses and bikinis – it’s great.’
A VisitScotland spokesman added: ‘It’s wonderful weather and beaches and outdoor attractions are seeing a big increase in visitor numbers.’