Scotland set to be hotter than Rome as heatwave continues

Temperatures in Scotland are set to be higher than in Rome this week as the weather continues to warm up and the whole country basks in a heatwave.

Forecasters are expecting the mercury to shoot up to 20C in Glasgow on Friday - around 10C higher than the Scottish average for this time of year.

The unseasonably warm conditions come as the UK experiences the hottest April in almost a decade.

Despite high daytime temperatures, however, clear skies mean nights will continue to be chilly.

One of artist Antony Gormley's "6 TIMES" statues in the Water of Leith, Edinburgh, as sweltering temperatures are expected to hit the UK at the end of the week bringing the hottest April in almost a decade.

The mercury could plunge as low as 1C in the north-east of Scotland, with chances of frost on higher ground in rural areas around Aberdeen.

Across the UK, a sunny Thursday and Friday will see the temperature reach as high as 24C in London - hotter than Lanzarote and Corfu.

But many of the country’s beaches and open spaces will be largely empty as Britons are urged to stay at home during the coronavirus lockdown.

Forecasters said the expected heatwave is due to a large area of high pressure to the north of England making the days clear and bright.

A weather map showed the giant zone stretching from Scandinavia to Ireland.

Most of the country will bask in the sunshine, with temperatures reaching up to 23C in Wales and 19C in Northern Ireland.

This would be well above the average high of 12C in April for the UK and the hottest the UK has been in this month since 2011.

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has cut odds to 4/5 on this week beating the hottest day of the year so far when 26C was recorded in Treknow, Cornwall, on 10 April.

Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: "There will be a bit of fog to start the day on Thursday, but that will clear up pretty quickly and there will be bright, warm sunshine across the whole UK.

“This will be the same for Friday, which could be hotter in some areas.

“This is because of a large area of high pressure that is hanging north of the UK.

“It also helps that there has been consecutive days of clear, hot days that have kept it going.”

The Met Office also reminded members of the public to heed government advice on social distancing during the sunny weather.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.