Scots are being urged to hold off on bringing out the winter duvet as unusually warm weather continues, with temperatures expected to stay high through the night. BBC weather forecaster Christopher Blanchett has warned that getting the winter duvet out now would be jumping the gun, as warm air from Europe keeps temperatures mild.
Warm night ahead
Tonight (September 29), temperatures are expected to remain on the warmer side, with highs of 19C at midnight in some areas. This comes after parts of Scotland only reached single figures this morning, with Aboyne and Strathallan hitting just 2C, prompting many to consider switching to winter bedding.
Blanchett said: "18C at midnight. For some, tonight may feel like we've jumped back to summer, so if you've already dug out the winter duvet, you've jumped the gun. On Tuesday night, temperatures will hold in the mid to high teens for many central and south-western areas of Scotland."
European warmth
Blanchett explained the cause: "It's a late burst of European warmth. Low pressure in the Atlantic is scooping up that warm air and sending it our way." At midnight, towns such as Girvan, Dalbeattie and Newton Stewart will sit at 19C, while Glasgow and the Western Isles will hit 18C. The east will be cooler, with Pitlochry and Aberlour predicted at 15C.
By tomorrow afternoon, Jedburgh, North Berwick and Dundee are expected to rise to 20C, with highs of 19C in Ullapool, Banff and Alness. According to the Met Office, the average temperature for Scotland at this time last year was around 15C.
Rain and thunder ahead
Blanchett warned of wet weather: "The European warmth will also bring a weather front across our shores from the Atlantic, and that means some heavy rain overnight and maybe rumbles of thunder too. So it's a warm and increasingly wet night ahead with a humid feel and a wet start to Wednesday as well."
The heavy rain should end by late morning, but showers are expected throughout the day. Temperatures are then set to stay in the mid-teens as October begins, meaning Scots should keep umbrellas handy but may not need winter coats just yet.
