Scotland North Climate
City Coverage: Inverness, Fort William, Thurso, Oban, and Wick
This month in numbers
Scotland North experienced its 11th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 7.1°C, a notable 1.9°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The region also saw its 7th sunniest April on record, basking in 188 hours of sunshine, which is 58 hours more than average. Over the last three months (February–April 2026), the mean temperature ranked 13th warmest on record at 5.13°C, and sunshine hours ranked 10th highest at 340 hours. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C, while the February–April period also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record globally.
What changed
The past three months in Scotland North have been notably warmer and sunnier than average, with mean temperatures for February–April 2026 ranking 13th warmest and sunshine hours ranking 10th highest in records stretching back 127 and 117 years respectively. This contrasts with some parts of eastern Scotland and north-east England which experienced cloudier conditions and less sunshine in February. While February saw temperatures closer to average in Scotland, the UK as a whole experienced a very mild February, especially in the south. Overall, Scotland North's 1-month temperature anomaly of +1.89°C placed it 114th out of 234 regions globally, and its 3-month anomaly of +1.62°C placed it 122nd.
What’s driving change?
The warmer conditions in Scotland North during February and March were influenced by a positive () phase, which typically brings mild, wet westerlies to northern Europe. February 2026 saw a of 0.68, which strengthened to 2.69 in March and remained positive at 1.39 in April. This aligns with reports of frequent warm southerly and south-westerly winds across Britain in February. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with an anomaly of +0.11°C for February–April 2026, though a transition to El Niño is the most likely forecast for May–July 2026 with a 61% probability. While the current Neutral ENSO state means muted influence, a developing El Niño typically brings cooler late winters to Northern Europe.
Looking ahead
Following the recent warm weather, a substantial northerly outbreak is expected in the coming weeks, bringing widespread frosts to Scotland, particularly in the north, and potentially wintry showers at higher elevations.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Scotland North
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 North changing?
Scotland North 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 North come from?
Climate data for Scotland North 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 North climate data cover?
The Scotland North climate profile covers Inverness, Fort William, Thurso, Oban and surrounding areas. Northern Highlands and west coast climate data
How often is the Scotland North climate update refreshed?
The Scotland North 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.