SCOTLAND’S spring heatwave has shuddered to a halt – with temperatures half what they were last week and snow on the hills.
The Aberdeenshire town of Aboyne enjoyed 23C (73F) last week but may only reach 12C (54F) today as cold fronts move in from the west.
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Scorching spring weather saw punters enjoy the holidaysCredit: Alamy
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People flock to outside public space Glasgow Botanic Gardens to enjoy the last of the sun from the extraordinarily hot springCredit: Alamy
April’s first showers arrived at the weekend, causing some sleet and snow on the mountain tops.
They will continue on Monday and again could turn wintry on the hills.
Ellie Glaisyer of the Met Office said low pressure is now in charge of our weather, signalling an unsettled period going into the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
Of tomorrow’s forecast for showers, she said: “Perhaps they will turn to sleet and snow over the high ground of Scotland.
“Across parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland, we will see some sunny spells developing between the showers.
“With this brisk southerly wind, it will again feel quite cooler than it has done in recent weeks.
“Highs in the south east will be 16C or 17C (61-63F) but further north and west, we will struggle to reach much above the low double figures.
“Further changeable weather is on the way for the rest of this week.”
The sunny spell which began on April 1 has managed to serve up some remarkable statistics, according to the Met Office.
In April’s first 12 days, Scotland had received 119.3 hours of sunshine, the same amount the country saw in the whole of April last year.
TERRIFYING drone footage lays bare horrific wildfires ripping through parts of Scotland
The Met Office said this is equivalent to 85 per cent of the sunshine we would normally get in a typical April. If we were running to form, we should only have received 40 per cent at this stage in the month.
At the same time, up to Saturday night, we only suffered 0.44mm of rain in April – less than one per cent of what a ‘normal’ April would serve up.
At this stage in the month, Scotland’s rainfall total should be around 37mm.
Wildfires have been a dramatic consequence of this bone-dry weather, with grass and gorse turned into the perfect fuel for flames.
The latest infernos forced police to shut roads near Moffat and Tweedsmuir in south west Scotland on Saturday night.
Today, Police Scotland said the wildfires near the A701, have been extinguished.
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Warm sunny weather brought the crowds out to Portobello beachCredit: Andrew Barr
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Evelyn Mackay(14) in ring and Libby Mackay (11) in rubber duck enjoying the hot April weatherCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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Spring might see a cold snap with snow forecast for places like River Spey near Aviemore and the Cairngorm mountainsCredit: Alamy
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The sunny weather is about to cool down next weekCredit: Tom Farmer
A force spokesman said: “Officers were made aware of fires in the Tweedsmuir area and one just north of Moffat. There have been no reported injuries.
“The road has now fully reopened and the public are thanked for their cooperation and support.”
Read more on the Scottish Sun
The warning of “extreme” risk of wildfires has now been withdrawn by Scottish Fire and Rescue as showers dampen down the countryside.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has said Scotland is dependent upon higher-than-average rainfall to prevent shortages later in the year.