A SPANISH surge will see Scotland welcome the official start of spring tomorrow with some of the warmest temperatures of the year so far.
At the same time, environment watchdogs are warning that parts of Scotland have seen just one tenth of the rainfall they would normally expect in March.
Glasgow could top 17C on Friday under clear blue skies[/caption]
Scotland has been enjoying bright and sunny weather for much of the month[/caption]
Parts of Scotland will be warmer than Spain and Portugal[/caption]
On Thursday, a low pressure system off Iberia is pushing heat up the Bay of Biscay towards the UK, creating warmer days here than in Spain and Portugal.
On Friday, the Portuguese capital Lisbon will be no better than 15C with showers through most of the day.
Similarly, Madrid in Spain will be a chilly 11C under a succession of showers.
According to the BBC Weather Service, Glasgow could top 17C on Friday under clear blue skies.
Holidaymakers returning from Spain have been reporting miserable conditions on the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol.
On the other hand, Scotland has been enjoying bright and sunny weather for much of the month.
One woman from Glasgow said: “We’ve just had five days in Benidorm and it rained every day.
“It was cold, too, and it didn’t help knowing that Scotland was enjoying the sunshine.”
Met Office forecaster Luke Miall said: “For many of us over the next few days, the temperatures are on the rise.
“The reason for this is that we have low pressure out towards Iberia, higher pressure over the continent and that is dragging in that warm, southerly, feed of air across all of the UK.
“Still, it’s a chilly night to come and you certainly notice that out there on Thursday morning.
“The most widespread frost will be for Scotland. In towns and cities, temperatures will fall close to freezing.
“But in the countryside, they could be as low as Minus 5C or Minus 6C (21-23F) as we start Thursday morning.
“For most of us, Thursday greets us to a lovely sunny day, with long spells of sunshine throughout the day.”
Almost three weeks into March, environment watchdogs SEPA are reporting extraordinarily dry conditions in the east of the country.
A spokesperson said: “So far, March has continued to be dry across most of Scotland.
“For example, rainfall recorded around Dundee and Fife for March, so far, is less than 5mm. The monthly average is around 50mm.
“SEPA continue to monitor the situation and will begin weekly water scarcity reporting in May.
“SEPA also provide guidance to licensed water extractors to ensure responsible management of water resources.”
The government agency warned last month that only higher-than-average rainfall in spring and summer will avert drought conditions later in the year.
Scotland is set to heat up from Thursday, with the warm weather continuing[/caption]
