20 June 2022

Scotland and Northern Ireland see warmest days of the year so far

20 June 2022

Scotland and Northern Ireland have enjoyed their warmest days of the year so far.

The Met Office said temperatures in the Aberdeenshire village of Aboyne reached 24.3C on Monday topping Scotland’s previous high  of the year which was 23.6C recorded at Dunstaffnage on June 5.

A top temperature of 22.2C was reached at Portglenone in Co Antrim, just eclipsing this year’s highest temperature in Northern Ireland which had been the 22.1C recorded at Giant’s Causeway on June 15.

Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said “it just shows you that the warmth is still  around and it is going to become warmer across the whole of the UK” across the week.

The heat is set build again in the coming days but will not be as high as last week when temperatures soared to 32.7C at Santon Downham, in Norfolk, on Friday as the UK recorded the hottest day of the year so far.

The warmth will be a little more widespread.

It will be sunny and dry from Tuesday to Thursday with temperatures reaching about 25C in London, before they rise to about 27 in the east on Wednesday 20 and peak at 29C on Thursday throughout the east and south east England.

It will be cloudier for Scotland and Northern Ireland where there will be some sunshine and temperatures may reach low to mid-20sC in the south.

Those heading to the Glastonbury festival could be pitching their tents in dry conditions but having to contend with heavy showers over the weekend.

A couple read the free paper at a previous wet Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset (Anthony Devlin/PA) (PA Archive)

The festival returns this week for the first time in three years, finally celebrating its 50th year after the pandemic forced organisers to cancel twice.

Mr Dewhurst said: “It will be a warm and sunny start to the festival with temperatures up to around 25-26C.

“There will will high UV levels so people will need to stay hydrated and pack plenty of sunscreen.

“With the second half of the festival, there is a risk of showers with temperatures dropping down to 20-21C and you will probably need your umbrellas and your wellies.”

With the weather set to will be varying day-by-day, Mr Dewhurst suggested that revellers “make sure you have got everything from warm weather gear to wet weather gear and expect a mixture of conditions”.

Sir Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish and rapper Kendrick Lamar will perform on the Pyramid stage while Diana Ross will fill the Sunday teatime legends slot.

Festival-goers will face difficulties arriving at the site in Pilton amid three days of major rail strikes causing travel chaos.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail and 13 train operators will walk out on June 21, 23 and 25 in the biggest outbreak of such industrial action in a generation.

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