London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Mar 09, 2026

Extreme heat warning extended to east of Scotland

Extreme heat warning extended to east of Scotland

The Met Office amber warning for extreme heat has been extended to cover a larger part of Scotland.

The extreme heat was originally forecast to affect only parts of southern Scotland.

But now the Met Office has extended the amber warning to eastern areas.

This includes Fife, the Lothians and parts of Tayside, Perthshire and central Scotland. Temperatures are expected to hit 30C (86F) on Monday and Tuesday.

First minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged the public to "take care and follow sensible advice".

In a social media post, she advised people to "keep out of direct sun, stay well hydrated and look out for others who may be suffering from the heat."

A national emergency has been declared in the UK, with the first ever red extreme heat warning issued in England.

Temperatures could reach 41C (106F) in England next week, while the rest of the UK could also see new record highs.


The highest temperature recorded in Scotland was 32.9C (91.2F) at Greycrook in the Borders in August 2003.

The Met Office warned that this figure could be topped this week.

Meteorologist Becky Mitchell told BBC Radio Scotland's Sunday Show: "It looks like we could potentially beat that, probably on Tuesday but temperatures will be hot on Monday as well.

"On Tuesday we could see temperatures that are potentially in the mid-30s."

The amber warning now affects the Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, West Lothian, Midlothian, Edinburgh, Fife, Dundee and parts of Perthshire, Falkirk, Ayrshire, Stirling, Clackmannanshire and Lanarkshire.


Threat to health


Dr Margaret Harris, of World Health Organisation, told BBC Scotland that people need to plan ahead.

She said: "We need to take this one very seriously, heatwaves are one of the most serious threats to human health, but it is often underappreciated how much of a natural disaster they can be.

"People at either end of the age span, either young or very old, cannot regulate their body temperature like those in the middle so they need to be looked after."

The heatwave is already causing travel disruption with LNER, which runs services between Scotland and England, cancelling all trains south of York on Tuesday.

Avanti West Coast said it would be running a much reduced service on Monday and Tuesday. Passengers are being asked to only travel if necessary.

Track operator Network Rail said the heat is expected to cause rails to expand and buckle or overhead lines to sag.

People are being urged to keep well-hydrated during the high temperatures


Scotland's justice secretary Keith Brown, who attended the UK Cobra emergency committee on Saturday, also urged the public to prepare for the heat.

He said: "We are aware of the extension to the weather warnings currently in place and are receiving regular updates from partners including the Met Office and emergency services.

"Our resilience arrangements have been activated and stand ready at all times to coordinate a response to severe weather issues where required. We will continue to closely monitor developments."

Scottish Water has requested that people help maintain normal supplies by being as efficient as possible with water use.

It urged the public to use watering cans rather than hoses in gardens, not to fill up paddling pools and to take shorter showers.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has also advised businesses to reduced their water usage.

It said there had been a water scarcity warning every year since 2018 - but this year was "particularly bad".

The Met Office red warning - the highest level - covers an area including London, Manchester and York on Monday and Tuesday.

Parts of Scotland and the rest of England and Wales are under an amber warning for extreme heat - while in Europe, deadly wildfires have broken out in Portugal, Spain and southwestern France.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Declines UK Offer to Deploy Aircraft Carriers to Middle East Amid Iran Conflict
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Return to Australia After Seven Years for Philanthropic and Business Engagements
UK Government Signals Independence From Washington as Cooper Says Britain Does Not Agree With Trump on Every Issue
UK Experts Warn AI Chatbots Are Fueling Surge in Claims of Organised ‘Satanic’ Ritual Abuse
UK Political Parties Divided Over Strategy as Iran Conflict Reshapes Foreign Policy Debate
Britain Discloses Secret Military Repair Hubs Operating Inside Ukraine
Trump Says US No Longer Needs UK Carrier Support After Delayed Offer Amid Iran Conflict
Why Britain Has Become Involved in the US-Israel Military Campaign Against Iran
UK Gas Storage Falls to Under Two Days as Iran Conflict Jolts Global Energy Markets
UK Warned to Brace for Economic Shock as Iran War Drives Global Energy Price Surge
Starmer and Trump Hold First Call After Public Dispute Over Iran Conflict
UK Dentists Returned £1.3 Billion to Government as Shift Toward Private Care Accelerates
Expert Warns UK Must Build Emergency Food Stockpiles to Prepare for Climate Shocks or War
UK Plans Charter Flight to Evacuate British Nationals from Gulf as Regional Conflict Disrupts Air Travel
Families of Zimbabwe’s Liberation Fighters Call on Britain to Help Locate Skulls Taken During Colonial War
Iran’s Ambassador Warns Britain to ‘Be Very Careful’ Over Deeper Role in Expanding Middle East War
UK Military Leadership Defends Britain’s Defensive Role in Expanding Middle East Conflict
Four U.S. Strategic Bombers Arrive in Britain as Iran War Intensifies
Soham Murderer Ian Huntley Dies After Violent Attack in High-Security Prison
UK Lawmakers and Experts Condemn Scale of Overseas Human Remains Held in British Museums
Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Prince of Wales Placed on Standby for Potential Deployment
United Kingdom Confirms U.S. Military Using British Bases for Operations Targeting Iranian Missile Sites
Starmer Defends UK Role in Iran Conflict After Renewed Criticism from President Trump
Blue Owl Reveals £36 Million Exposure After Collapse of UK Lender Serving Wealthy Clients
UK Asylum Reform Plan Triggers Fierce Debate Over Border Control and Humanitarian Impact
US Stealth Bombers Head to UK Base as Trump Issues Stark Warning to Iran
UK Deputy Prime Minister Says Legal Case Could Exist for British Strikes on Iranian Missile Sites
Investigators Link Mysterious Parcel Fires Across Europe to Russian Intelligence Operation
Debate Intensifies Over Britain’s Legal Justification for US Military Operations Launched From UK Bases
Britain Faces Heightened Energy Price Risks as Iran-Linked Tensions Threaten Global Oil and Gas Supplies
British Counter-Terror Police Arrest Four Suspected of Spying on Jewish Community for Iran
Axel Springer Agrees $770 Million Deal to Acquire Britain’s Daily Telegraph
Iceland Supermarket Drops Trademark Challenge Against Icelandic Government in Long-Running Naming Dispute
UK Defence Secretary Visits Cyprus Following Scrutiny of Britain’s Response to Drone Attacks
Questions Grow Over Britain’s Military Readiness as Response to Iran Conflict Draws Scrutiny
UK Offers Failed Asylum Seeker Families Up to Forty Thousand Pounds to Leave Voluntarily
Saharan Dust Could Bring ‘Blood Rain’ to Parts of the UK as Weather Systems Shift
UK Deploys Additional Typhoon Fighter Jets to Qatar and Helicopters to Cyprus Amid Rising Middle East Tensions
Experts Urge Britain to Accelerate Renewable Energy Push as Global Conflicts Drive Up Costs
British Public Shows Strong Reluctance to Join Wider War in Iran
First UK Evacuation Flight Departs Middle East After Lengthy Delay
United Kingdom Imposes New Visa Requirements on Travelers from St. Lucia and Nicaragua
Iran Conflict Strains U.S.–U.K. Alliance as Trump and Starmer Clash Over Military Strategy
UK Interest Rates Could Rise Above Four Percent Again if Energy Shock Continues, Think Tank Warns
Starmer Defends Britain’s Iran Strategy as Badenoch Urges Stronger Military Support
Labour MP Says She Saw No Sign Husband Broke Law After Arrest in China Espionage Investigation
UK Jobless Rate Overtakes Italy’s for First Time in Years as Labour Market Weakens
United Kingdom Suspends Student Visas for Four Countries in Unprecedented Immigration Move
Campaigners Warn UK Student Visa Ban Could Push Migrants Toward Dangerous Channel Crossings
First U.K. Charter Flight for Stranded Nationals Set to Depart Oman Amid Middle East Crisis
×