Hottest day in Glasgow since records began as city hits 31C

Meteorologists have confirmed that Glasgow has had its warmest ever day as the temperature in the city topped 31C.

Amy Harris, 22, and Lorren Christie, 22, enjoying the sunshine in Glasgow. Picture: SWNS

At 5pm this afternoon it was announced that the temperature in Glasgow had reached 31.8C, beating the previous high of 31.2C recorded on 4 August 1975.

Other areas of the country made it above 30 degrees this afternoon; Dumfriesshire, Ayshire, Strathclyde, Perthshire and the Highlands being among the hottest regions.

Like nearby Glasgow, Renfrewshire also managed to notch up its highest recorded temperature.

The hot weather has caused Scots some issues, however.

There was widespread rail disruption as temperatures exceeded 50C on the tracks making them unsafe for trains.

Wildfire warnings were issued with firefighters battling a blaze at a woods outside of Bathgate, West Lothian.

In Glasgow city centre, the Glasgow Science Centre had a black pitch-like substance running down one side of the building after material in its cladding melted.

And on the M8, commuters faced lengthy tailbacks after an Audi R8 crashed next to Junction 2 near Edinburgh. Police issued a warning to drivers to stay in their vehicles to avoid the heat.

However, the June heat wave did not reach all parts of Scotland. Lerwick in the Shetland Isles was overcast for much of Thursday with temperatures hovering around 12C.