Scotland is hotter than Miami, Rio de Janeiro, Tenerife and Mumbai

Scotland could be on course for a record temperature today as the heatwave takes hold across the country - but how does that compare to the rest of the world?

Scotland is set to be hotter than Miami (top left) and Rio De Janeiro (top right) today. Pictures: Pixabay Free Images/TSPL

Yesterday (Wednesday) was the warmest day of 2018 so far, with a high of 31.3C recorded in Aviemore in the Highlands.

That also made it the hottest June day in Scotland since 1995.

One of the tropes of weather news stories is the comparison to other, more tropical parts of the world.

Scotland is set to be hotter than Miami (top left) and Rio De Janeiro (top right) today. Pictures: Pixabay Free Images/TSPL

If, as forecast, parts of Scotland do hit 31C again today, how does the current pavement-cracking weather compare to the rest of the world right now?

Scotland is set to be hotter than large swathes of southern Europe today, with Athens (26C), Rome (27C), Seville (29C), Barcelona (25C) and Dubrovnik (25C) struggling to reach 30C.

The popular holiday destination of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, meanwhile, can only expect a high of 26C.

Scots have been taking advantage of the heatwave (Photo: TSPL)

The high temperatures here should be on a par with Marrakesh in Morocco (30C) and Havana in Cuba (31C)

Scotland is, however, still well short of the sweltering conditions in the Middle East, where temperatures in Dubai and Qatar could exceed 40C.

But it is possible that Scotland's June record of 32.2C, measured in 1893 at Ochtertyre in Perthshire, could even be broken.

Met Office forecaster Mark Wilson said: “We’re keeping a close eye on temperatures, as highs of around 31C or 32C are expected in some places on Thursday. At this point it looks unlikely to beat 32.2C, but it’s not out of the question.”