Weather Scotland: Edinburgh and Glasgow to hit 25C as temperatures soar in heatwave this week

Scotland is set for a heatwave this week, with the temperature forecast to hit 25C as some of the UK swelters in hotter conditions than parts of southern Europe.

Forecasters are expecting temperatures to soar to 25C on Friday in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Stirling. One weather expert said the mercury could even reach 28C.

Edinburgh is set to enjoy some sunny weather this week, according to the Met Office.

The rest of the week will see warm weather across the country, with long sunny spells in most places.

An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK.

Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge said: “Temperatures rising through the week will be home-grown conditions, where we get quite sunny weather, elevating temperatures.

“But as we get nearer to the weekend, that will receive a boost as we start to import warmer air from the south of Europe. There will be a low pressure area to the west by the weekend and a high pressure one to the east. Those weather systems will funnel air between them and feed warmer air across the UK.”

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STV's Sean Batty said the temperature gauge could potentially climb to the highest level since summer 2023.

He said: “Much like last week, a plume of warm air from North Africa will drift northwards later in the week. By Friday -likely the warmest day – temperatures are expected to reach the low to mid-20s across the country.

“Based on the latest forecast models, I would say highs of around 28C aren’t out of the question in areas such as the Moray coast, Perth, Glasgow, Stirling, Edinburgh and East Lothian.”

Temperatures could meanwhile climb to as high as 32C south of the Border by Saturday.

In London – where the threshold is 28C – temperatures could peak at 29C on Thursday and 31C on Friday. A high of 32C could then be reached on Saturday.

The heatwave means some parts of the country will surpass temperatures in holiday hotspots such as Lisbon in Portugal and Barcelona in Spain, which are predicted to reach 29C on Saturday, and Nice, France, where it will be 30C.

Forecasters have warned some rain is still possible in parts by the end of the week, with localised, heavy showers forecast depending on how humid it gets.

The burst of heat is expected to peak this weekend before easing early next week, with high pressure expected to move away from the UK resulting in falling temperatures.

The London Fire Brigade has issued a warning over wildfires before the prolonged spell of hot weather and following one of the driest springs on record.

Charlie Pugsley, deputy commissioner for operational policy, prevention and protection, said: “Extended periods of hot and dry weather can greatly increase the risk of a grass fire, and particularly when that grass is tinder dry the spread of fire can be rapid. We have seen examples of this in London as well as more recently worldwide, such as in California and South Korea.”

Scots were last month urged to be careful with water supplies amid a scarcity caused by the driest start to a year since 1964.

A drought was declared by the Environment Agency across Yorkshire last week, while the North West of England entered drought status last month.