The Met Office has recorded the highest temperature of the year in Scotland, leading us to ask the jaw-dropping question - are we getting a heatwave?

The national weather service reported Scotland's highest temperature of 2022 on Sunday, July 10.

The glorious weather, enjoyed by many across the weekend, begs the question if it's a fluke doomed to be replaced by clouds or if we are set for a little more sunshine this summer.

Find out where it was hottest in Scotland on Sunday and whether we could be on the brink of a heatwave. 

Hottest place in Scotland today

The hottest place in Scotland today ( Sunday, July 10) was Aboyne in Aberdeenshire.

The village, on the edge of the Highlands, located just 26 miles from Aberdeen recorded 27.3C  on Sunday.

The highest temperature recorded in Scotland this year, before today was 26.3C at Floors Castle, in the Scottish Borders, on June 23, according to BBC Scotland weather.

Other parts of Scotland also saw temperatures rise with Glasgow and Aberdeen reaching highs of 25 and Stornoway recording an impressive 18 degrees. 

East Lothian Courier: A walkway to the beach. Credit: CanvaA walkway to the beach. Credit: Canva

What is an ‘official’ heatwave?

Whether there will be what the Met Office describes as an 'official' heatwave depends on whether the weather meets the below threshold.

A location meets the UK heatwave threshold when it records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperature levels which vary across the country.

The UK threshold has actually been updated ahead of summer 2022.

Due to our changing climate, the Met Office now uses the 1991-2020 averaging period. 

While South-East parts of the England have seen a shift, Scotland's daily maximum threshold temperature continues to be 25 degrees. 

Why do heatwaves happen?

The Met Office says that heatwaves are most common in summer when high pressure develops across an area.

These High Pressure systems move slowly and can stay over an area for days or even weeks. 

Heatwaves happen in the UK due to the location of the jet stream, which is usually found to the north of the UK in the summer, allowing for high pressure to develop and more settled weather to occur.

Find out more about heatwaves and tips on keeping cool in the hot weather by visiting the Met Office website.

What does the Met Office long forecast say?

While it's unclear whether Scotland will get an 'official' heatwave, under the above definition, it does look like we're going to get a bit of a summer. 

The Met Office has released its long-range forecast for July and it is looking pretty promising. 

Friday July 15 - Sunday, July 24

"On Friday, England and Wales can expect to see dry and sunny conditions with light winds, while across Scotland and Northern Ireland, scattered showers are likely," according to the Met Office.

However, the weather forecaster continues: "Through the weekend and early next week, sunny and dry conditions will prevail for most under the influence of high pressure, though showers and stronger winds are likely across the northwest at times.

"Thundery showers are occasionally possible in the south and southwest too. Away from the northwest, temperatures will rise through the weekend, with most areas becoming very warm or hot by Sunday, with the potential for a very hot spell in parts of central, south, or east England. The latter part of this period may then see cooler and more widely unsettled conditions returning across the UK."

Monday, July 25 - Monday August 2

Looking forward into late July and early August, the Met Office predicts: "After a spell of more changeable conditions for many areas, high pressure will likely bring more settled weather again to the south and southwest. This may extend more widely across the UK, bringing generally fine weather for most, however the northwest will continue to see the majority of any cloud and rain.

It added: "Temperatures will likely be above average for most, especially in the south, with the potential for it to be hot across England and Wales. However, temperatures perhaps returning close to normal again for most by the end of this period, except in the south where it may remain warm or very warm."