Scotland West Climate
City Coverage: Glasgow, Stirling, Ayr, Greenock, and Paisley
This month in numbers
Scotland West experienced its 6th sunniest April on record, with 202 hours of sunshine, a significant 58 hours above the 1961–1990 average. Mean temperatures for April 2026 were 7.8°C, ranking as the 13th warmest April in 127 years of records, at 1.7°C above the baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures on record, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
The period of February to April 2026 saw Scotland West record its 14th warmest mean temperature on record, at 6°C, which is 1.7°C above the long-term average. This three-month span also ranked as the 13th sunniest, with 348 hours of sunshine, 50 hours more than average. While the region saw increased rainfall and rain days compared to average over these three months, it also experienced 14 fewer frost days than typical, ranking as the 14th fewest on record. Scotland West's monthly temperature anomaly of +1.67°C placed it 130th out of 234 regions globally for April, while the three-month anomaly of +1.74°C ranked it 109th.
What’s driving change?
The warmer and sunnier conditions, coupled with fewer frost days, can be partly attributed to shifts in atmospheric circulation patterns. The () was in a positive phase in March 2026 with a value of 2.69, following a positive phase in February and a slightly negative phase in January. A typically brings milder, wetter westerly winds to northern Europe. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently in a Neutral phase, with a weekly Niño 3.4 SST anomaly of +0.9°C as of late April 2026. However, there is a strong likelihood of El Niño conditions emerging during the boreal summer and autumn, with a 61% chance in May-Jul and increasing to 87% by Jul-Sep. El Niño events can influence North Atlantic weather patterns, potentially leading to cooler late winters in Northern Europe, though very strong El Niños have historically resulted in warmer winters. Throughout April, Scotland West experienced a mix of weather, including periods of unusually warm weather followed by cooler, more unsettled conditions with showers and blustery winds, particularly in western areas.
Looking ahead
Seasonal forecasts suggest that El Niño conditions are likely to emerge during the boreal summer, with a 61% chance in May-July, potentially bringing a tendency for cooler late winters to Northern Europe, though the immediate impact on Scotland West for the coming weeks is less clear.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Scotland West
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 West changing?
Scotland West 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 West come from?
Climate data for Scotland West 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 West climate data cover?
The Scotland West climate profile covers Glasgow, Stirling, Ayr, Greenock and surrounding areas. Western Scotland climate data centred on Glasgow and the Clyde
How often is the Scotland West climate update refreshed?
The Scotland West 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.