Scotland West Climate – June 2026 Update
City Coverage: Glasgow, Stirling, Ayr, Greenock, and Paisley
This month in numbers
Scotland West experienced its 7th warmest June on record, with a mean temperature of 13.6°C, a significant 1.9°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The three-month period from April to June 2026 also ranked as the 8th warmest on record, at 10.57°C, 1.6°C above average. Rainfall in June was notably high, ranking as the 14th wettest June on record with 148 mm, which is 55.2 mm above the baseline. The number of rain days in June also ranked 14th highest, with 19 days, six more than average. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest June on land, and the April-June period was the 2nd warmest on record for global land temperatures.
What changed
The past three months have seen Scotland West experiencing significantly warmer and wetter conditions compared to historical averages. The region's mean temperature for April-June was 1.6°C above the 1961-1990 baseline. While sunshine for the three-month period was slightly above average, June itself saw a deficit of 29 hours of sunshine. Rainfall for the April-June period was 74.7 mm above average, and June alone recorded 55.2 mm more rain than usual, making it a particularly wet month. This contrasts with a broader UK picture in June, where many English regions saw above-average sunshine, and eastern areas were notably drier. Scotland West, in fact, recorded the highest amount of rain of any UK region in June.
What’s driving change?
The warmer temperatures in Scotland West are part of a broader trend, with 2025 being the warmest year on record for the region, and a long-term warming trend of +1.17°C against the 1961–1990 baseline. A significant warming driver is the ongoing weak El Niño, with the NOAA ONI 3-month anomaly for April-June 2026 at +0.98°C. El Niño events can indirectly influence UK weather, potentially leading to milder, wetter, and windier conditions during autumn and early winter, though strong El Niños have also been associated with colder late winters. The Met Office also noted a "baroclinic zone" in June, a boundary between warm and cool air masses, which brought outbreaks of rain, particularly to northern and western areas of the UK. Scotland experienced a heatwave in late June, with temperatures reaching up to 31.2°C, followed by widespread thunderstorms and heavy rain across much of the country from June 25-26. These storms brought heavy downpours, lightning, and gusty winds, with warnings for potential flash flooding and disruption. You can track the latest on El Niño at ENSO.
Looking ahead
The current El Niño is forecast to persist and strengthen through the end of 2026, with a 100% probability of El Niño conditions continuing through October-December. This strong El Niño suggests the possibility of a colder-than-average end to winter and start to spring for Scotland, although rainfall remains harder to predict.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – UK
Source: Met Office UK Regional & National series (Tmean, Rainfall, Sunshine, Air Frost) © Crown copyright. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) or 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost). See methodology.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Scotland West
Data: Met Office UK Regional Series © Crown copyright. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Scotland West – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: Met Office UK Regional Series © Crown copyright. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – Scotland West
Met Office UK Regional Series © Crown copyright - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Cfb · TemperateHow spring and autumn have shifted in Scotland West. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (7.4°C, from 1900–1929); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 10.2°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: May (+1.7°C).
Data: Met Office UK Regional Series © Crown copyright. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Sunshine & Frost
Sunshine – Total Hours
Frost Days – Total
Rainfall & Precipitation
Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
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 headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and 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.