19-05-2025
Exact date Scotland's 'mini heatwave' to end as Met Office warns of 'heavy showers and rumbles'
Scots may be seeing the driest spring in 40 years, but forecasters are warning that the 'mini heatwave' will come to an end shortly- along with some showers. The entirety of the UK has been basking in abnormally warm conditions over the past few weeks, with temperatures reaching well above 20C in parts of Scotland.
Last Monday (May 12), Auchencruive in South Ayrshire was hotter than Los Angeles, California, which records an average of 23.6C in May. A searing temperature of 24.5C was recorded in Auchencruive, followed by a whopping 25.5C the day after.
However, this mini heatwave is to come to an end later on this week, after a short spell of showers will temporarily interrupt the sunshine this afternoon. While hot weather will continue through most of this week, temperature maps are showing much cooler conditions for the whole of the UK this coming Friday, May 23- just in time for the Spring Bank Holiday Weekend.
Two temperature maps from WXCharts show a sharp cooling-off in temperatures over this week. While much of Britain is shaded in red on, Tuesday, May 20, showing conditions warmer than the seasonal average, by Friday they turn blueish, meaning they have dropped below what you would expect for this time of year, reports the Mirror.
But while the hot weather will continue tomorrow, May 20, with highs of 21C in Scotland, we may see some showers today, May 19.
Met Office Meteorologist Kathryn Chalk explained that Monday will see "cloudier skies across northern parts of England, Northern Ireland and southern Scotland, and here, some showers will bubble up, some of them on the heavy side, perhaps even with the odd rumble of thunder."
But while the heatwave seems to continue after today's short spell of showers, that's all to change later this week.
Met Office weather maps show temperatures in Scotland this coming Friday to range between a sharp 10C and a milder 17C, but it seems the heatwave that brought temperatures over 20C will indeed come to an official end.
Saturday's temperatures look similar, with highs of 17C in Scotland.
Sunday, May 25 will come with the coolest temperatures we'll see this week, with the maximum temperature to reach just 15C in Scotland.
While it's a shame for Scots to say goodbye to the scorching weather, those taking part in the Edinburgh Marathon this Sunday may be glad for the cooler spell.
Some showers are also expected across the Scottish capital on Sunday.
And meteorologists say this turn towards more "unsettled" weather may be set to last the rest of the month, according to experts at the Met Office.
The Met Office's medium-term outlook for the UK reads: "There are signs that this prolonged dry spell could begin to break down towards the end of next week, with rain and stronger winds potentially arriving from the west or south, possibly bringing further thunderstorms.
"As we move into the latter part of the month, the long range outlook suggests a gradual shift toward more unsettled weather.
"Western regions may see more frequent rain and showers, while the south and east could still maintain drier spells."
