A hiker and his dog were rescued from a Scottish munro in blistering temperatures after suffering from heat exhaustion. The pair had been scaling Mount Keen near Ballater in Aberdeenshire when mountain rescue teams received the alarm on Wednesday, June 24. Crews were dispatched to their location and brought them back to safety.
Rescue on Scotland's Hottest Day
The dramatic rescue came as scorching highs reached 29.4C, the hottest temperature recorded in Scotland this year. Tayside Mountain Rescue Team, who helped bring the Italian Spinone and his owner down the mountain safely, urged people not to underestimate the impact hot weather can have in the hills.
A statement from the team read: "The team were called out this afternoon to assist a dog who was suffering from heat exhaustion on Mount Keen. With its owner unable to move him, a small team headed up the hill to assist and bring the Italian Spinone and his owner down safely."
Warning from Mountain Rescue
The statement continued: "With temperatures on the rise, don't underestimate the impact that hot weather can have on you or your furry friend when exerting yourself in the hills. If you are planning a day in the hills, consider starting early, carry plenty of water, take regular breaks in the shade where possible and be prepared to turn back if the heat becomes too much."
Forecasters predict some areas of Scotland will rise into the low 30Cs in the coming days. It could potentially break the record June temperature of 32.3C recorded at Ochtertyre in Perthshire on June 18, 1893, before cooling down over the weekend.
Potential Record-Breaking Heat
Met Office meteorologist Honor Criswick said there is a chance it might be broken as "we are expecting temperatures to get into the high 20s and possibly the low 30s so it does threaten the Scottish June record, there is the potential to break it." A high of 29C was recorded at Dyce in Aberdeen on Tuesday, beating the year's previous high of 28.1C at Floors Castle in the Borders on 25 May.
Heatwave Warnings Across UK
With the heatwave continuing to the end of the week, red and amber warnings for extreme heat have been announced across a swathe of England and Wales on Thursday, and amber warnings for parts of England on Friday and Saturday. Elsewhere, a yellow warning for thunderstorms has been issued for the Highlands, Orkney, Moray and Argyll and Bute from 3pm until 11.59pm on Friday. At the same time, the rest of Scotland has been issued with the same warning from 00.00am until 11.59pm.
