Expert issues stark heatwave prediction amid dramatic rise in Scotland's flip-flop weather

Scottish Sun

4 days ago

LAST weekend the sun was splitting the skies as the mercury hit a searing 32°C – with Scots heading to beaches to soak up the rays.
But just days later the temperatures have plummeted to as low as 15C with torrential rain that has caused localised flooding.
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Beaches were mobbed at the weekend as Scots soaked up the sun
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Last year places like Malaga were flooded
The conditions have been dubbed 'weather whiplash' – but these extremes of glorious sunshine followed by heavy rainfall are set to become the norm across the UK.
Today, we speak to STV weather-man Sean Batty about our flip flop summer.
SEAN Batty has watched this summer's stats in amazement as Malaga was lashed with 300mm of torrential rainfall at the exact same time East Lothian was left parched by just 20mm.
Then Aviemore topped the temperature charts with 32.2c at the weekend, while Scots are now having to endure temps of just half that, along with prolonged downpours in a phenomenon nicknamed 'weather whiplash'.
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STV presenter Sean Batty said our flip flop summer is just getting started
But Sean believes that this summer of madness is only just getting started.
He said: 'One of the most concerning trends we're seeing is the increasingly extreme heat, which is becoming a regular feature of Mediterranean summers.
'Record-breaking temperatures are now the norm across the region, and if that wasn't enough, the weather swings have become more dramatic — just look at Spain.
'After enduring a relentlessly wet and flood-prone spring, the country is now facing intense heat.
'In Malaga, a popular holiday destination for many Scots, the summer was unusually wet, with nearly 300mm of rain—far above average—while places like East Lothian saw barely 20mm in the same period.
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'What's also worrying is that temperatures in parts of Spain and Portugal have already hit the mid-40s on several occasions — and this is before we've even reached the typically hotter period of August.
'It's because of this extreme heat to our south that we've been hitting the high 20s and low 30s when we pick up a southerly air flow.'
For that reason Sean is not surprised the term 'weather whiplash' has been doing the rounds on X and Facebook.
He says: 'It isn't an official meteorological term, it's more of a social media creation that's gained traction in recent years to describe the increasingly dramatic swings in weather we're experiencing.
'In Scotland our summers flip flop like this. Usually high pressure lasts a little longer in May and June and this is why we had a much longer spell of fine, albeit not quite as warm, weather back then.
'Then when it gets to the Scottish school holiday season we tend to have more of what I call 'one day wonders' where we get red hot heat and sunshine which is then quickly followed by a return to rain.'
This year has also seen an outbreak of wildfires, including the biggest one ever recorded covering 37 square miles in Invernessshire.
Sean, 43, said: 'Wildfires seemed to break out everywhere during the spring.
'That was largely due to the extended spell of dry weather, which significantly increased the fire risk.
'Dead vegetation and weeds left over from the previous year had dried out over winter, creating a bed of highly flammable material. All it takes is a stray match or an unattended BBQ to ignite it.
'At this time of year, you'll also notice just how quickly the ground dries out after a shower.
'It's a clear sign of how intense our summer sun can be and, after just a few days like this, conditions can become risky."
What's more, it doesn't always take an open flame to start a wildfire. Something as simple as a discarded glass bottle can concentrate sunlight enough to ignite dry grass or heather.'
It was reported this week that air conditioning sales in the UK have seen an increase of 64 per cent in the last year.
And while that will mainly be in the South East of England, Sean believes air con could become a norm in Scotland too.
He said: 'What you have to remember when it comes to heat is that us Scots are less tolerant of it.
'That's why the heatwave threshold is three days above 28C in London compared to 25C in Scotland.
'So with surges of increasingly warm air each year it'll no doubt have more people requesting to have air conditioning installed in the coming years.'
And Sean remains confident that records will continue to fall over the next five years due to the dramatically changing weather conditions.
He said: 'We're seeing volatile weather becoming more frequent—everything from massive snowfalls and powerful wind storms to extreme heat and intense downpours.
'I have predicted that we'll likely break Scotland's current record high of 34.8C, set in 2022, within the next five years.
'While it still seems very unlikely that we'll reach the 40s as seen in parts of England—at least within our lifetimes—one thing I've quickly come to realise is that, with weather like this, you can never say never.
'The pace of change has been staggering - even surprising meteorologists at just how rapidly records are falling.'