Experts predict our hottest ever autumn

Scotland is on course to register its hottest autumn ever, in records going back to the days of Queen Victoria.

The Met Office defines autumn as the months of September, October and November.

With just a few days of the season remaining, an average temperature of 9.78˚C places it warmer than 2006, the hottest autumn since records began in 1884.

Scotland has already recorded the warmest overnight temperature for any November, when the mercury hit 14.6˚C earlier this month.

To show how our climate is changing rapidly, last autumn was the third warmest Scotland had ever seen.

Rebecca Hudson, of the Met Office, said it will not be certain until all the statistics are examined after Wednesday, the final day of November.

However, she added: “It’s provisionally looking like the warmest autumn on record.

“If it doesn’t manage to break the record, it will almost certainly be the second warmest autumn ever.”

Botanists say we are experiencing a “second spring” as some plants and flowers continue to flourish due to the lack of frost.

Recent heavy rainfall is likely to become a distant memory in the forecast reaching into the second week of December.

A ridge of high pressure is beginning to build from the west, heralding drier and sunnier conditions, beginning today.

There may be some showers overnight into tomorrow but they should clear to produce a fine day for most, with Tuesday and Wednesday also promising.

Yesterday strong winds disrupted ferry services, with numerous cancellations, and saw warnings to drivers using the Skye Bridge.