Scotland East Climate
City Coverage: Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Perth, and St Andrews
This month in numbers
Scotland East experienced its 4th warmest March–May period on record, with an average temperature of 7.57°C, a significant 1.9°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This spring also ranked as the 4th sunniest on record, with 507 hours of sunshine, exceeding the average by 107 hours. May 2026 itself was the 15th warmest May on record, with a mean temperature of 9.9°C, 1.7°C above average. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, and the February–April 2026 period was also the 2nd warmest on record for global land temperatures.
What changed
The past three months in Scotland East have been notably warmer and sunnier than average, placing the region among the top 5 for both mean temperature and sunshine duration. This contrasts with the national picture for the UK, which also saw above-average temperatures in March and April, but Scotland East's anomalies are particularly striking for the spring season. The region's 3-month temperature anomaly of +1.94°C places it 102nd out of 234 regions globally, indicating a widespread warming trend, though not as extreme as some US states, which dominate the top 10 warmest regions for the same period.
What’s driving change?
The significant warming observed in Scotland East over the past few months is influenced by several factors. The broader global warming trend, with global land temperatures ranking as the 2nd warmest on record for both April and the February–April period, provides a backdrop to regional changes. The developing El Niño event, with an 82% chance of El Niño developing between May and July, and a 92% chance for June-August, is also a significant driver. While El Niño's influence on the UK is indirect, strong events have historically been linked to milder and wetter winters across parts of northern Europe, including the UK, though the relationship is complex. El Niño tends to raise global temperatures by releasing heat stored in the oceans into the atmosphere, increasing the likelihood of record-breaking warmth worldwide.
Looking ahead
Forecasts indicate a high probability of El Niño strengthening through the summer and into the end of the year, which could bring a greater risk of unusual weather conditions, including unseasonably warm spells for the UK.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Scotland East
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Scotland East changing?
Scotland East is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Scotland East come from?
Climate data for Scotland East comes from the UK Met Office HadUK-Grid (temperature, rainfall, sunshine, air frost), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Scotland East climate data cover?
The Scotland East climate profile covers Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Perth and surrounding areas. Eastern Scotland climate data from Edinburgh to Aberdeen
How often is the Scotland East climate update refreshed?
The Scotland East climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.