Gritters out as Scotland braced for 30C on hottest day of the year

David Robertson, the chief executive of Scottish Borders Council, has indicated that temperatures are expected to soar to 31°C in areas such as Newcastleton and Hawick. He explained the presence of gritters on the roads during this heatwave, clarifying that these are not signs of any error by the council. Instead, they are applying a fine layer of sand to the road surfaces to prevent the tar from melting. Robertson added that ambient road temperatures are reaching the 40s Celsius at peak times, which is sufficient to cause the tar on roads to soften.

In Dumfries and Galloway, the local council has urged the community to consider the challenging conditions faced by frontline workers who must wear personal protective equipment amid the high temperatures. Alongside this, Police Scotland has reminded the public about water safety, particularly cautioning about the dangers of drowning arising from “cold water shock.” Additionally, anglers in southern regions have been alerted to the risks posed to fish when river temperatures rise. The River Tweed Commission (RTC) has recommended suspending salmon and trout fishing once water temperatures hit 20°C, as low dissolved oxygen levels can stress the fish, making even catch-and-release methods potentially fatal. Jamie Stewart from the RTC highlighted that wild Atlantic salmon are already enduring significant threats such as climate change, habitat degradation, and poor survival rates at sea.

BBC Scotland’s weather presenter Gillian Smart described the heatwave as a result of southeasterly winds bringing in hot, humid air from continental Europe. She predicted the highest temperatures would be experienced in central and southern parts of Scotland, possibly reaching 30°C. However, she cautioned that this heat would be interrupted by a “thundery breakdown” on Thursday afternoon. A weather front approaching from the northwest is set to collide with the warm air, generating heavy, thundery showers mainly affecting the Western Isles, the Northwest Highlands, and the Northern Isles. These storms are expected to progress southward, potentially bringing torrential rain and hail in some areas.

Authorities have issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms covering the Highlands, Orkney, Moray, and Argyll and Bute from mid-afternoon to late evening on Thursday, extending to most of mainland Scotland from midnight onward through Friday. Meanwhile, parts of England and Wales face even more severe heat conditions, with a rare red warning for extreme heat in effect. Across Europe, temperatures remain significantly above average, with northern Spain, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands experiencing heat levels 12 to 15 degrees Celsius higher than normal

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