Scotland set for hottest day of the year as heatwave sweeps Europe

Today will be Scotland’s hottest day of the year with temperatures possibly peaking over 30C in some spots.

I know there are people who go about flipantly saying “it’s summer!”, and yes, it does reach around 30C at some point in the summer in Scotland – but temperatures this high so early on in the season are pretty remarkable and rare. Heat usually peaks in the UK in July or August.

The all-time record for June is 32.2C which was set way back in 1893 in Perth and Kinross.

Temperatures will be highest in the south and south west of the country, with the hottest weather stretching along a corridor from Gretna to Kilmarnock.

Scotland

Rail passengers warned heat could cause disruption as temperatures soar

High temperatures can present challenges for the railway as steel rails expand as they heat up in direct sunlight.

Dumfries and Galloway is up there at the top of the charts, with temperatures around Gretna, Dumfries, Castle Douglas, and Lockerbie most likely to breach the 30-degree mark. Some models suggest 32C is possible.

Moving further north and into South Lanarkshire, the hot spot here will likely be around Carluke, Biggar, Lanark and Lesmahagow with peaks around 30C. Similar highs stretch into East Renfrewshire.

Another sweet spot for the 30s is East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire – especially around Kilmarnock, Mauchline and Tarbolton.

Quite a lot of the towns and villages in the south west recorded their hottest June days in 2018 and 2020, and today could see a few of these being beaten again.

Insight

How hot will it get and what does it mean for Scotland’s summer?

Sean Batty

Despite the hot and sunny weather in many areas today, we start to see a change coming in tonight as heavy thundery rain begins to move in from the south.

Even though temperatures peak on Thursday, it will remain very warm into the weekend, with the mid 20s still possible in the north Highlands on Saturday, but most areas by then will have outbreaks of heavy rain at times, making it feel very muggy.