Scotland's weather: 2016 one of hottest summers in 7 years

Edinburgh sunshine. Princes Street Gardens from the Mound. Picture; Keith Brotherston

DOWNLOAD THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS APP ON ITUNES OR GOOGLE PLAY

Scotland averaged 354mm of rain this summer, up 16 per cent, Met Office figures from June 1 to August 29 show. Summer ended on August 31.

The deluge made this the ninth of the past 10 summers to see Scotland drenched by more than its summer average of 305mm of rain, Met Office records showed. Only 2013’s 232mm bucked the trend.

But Scotland’s summer was also hotter than all but two summers since 2009.

Scotland-wide average temperature this summer of 12.86C, 0.31C above normal, was behind only 2013’s 13.50C and 2014’s 13.18C.

Sunshine amounts were down, at 395 hours, 93 per cent of the usual.

Forecasters said Scotland suffered a mixed summer – hitting 29.8C on July 19 at Floors Castle, Borders, and Motherwell, Lanarkshire, but also suffering washouts.

A Met Office forecaster said: “There were some very wet days, with above-average rainfall. But summer was above-average temperature wise, with hot and sunny periods.”

The Met Office forecast a Saturday soaking for most of Scotland apart from the North on Saturday– before Sunday’s sunshine and showers improve to frequent sunshine from Monday to Friday, with highs up to 22C by Wednesday, with the West seeing blustery showers between sunny spells.

Met Office forecaster Alex Burkill said: “Saturday looks pretty wet across much of the UK, with up to 20mm of rain in the North.

“But temperatures will climb next week, with fine conditions from Monday for most and into the low 20s by Wednesday in parts of Scotland, well above average for early September. Settled conditions look like easing from Friday.”

The Weather Outlook forecaster Brian Gaze said: “High pressure building over the continent is set to bring fine spell of weather next week.”