Bizarre weather effect that turns the UK’s temperatures upside down

Northern Scotland isn’t known for its beach weather, but parts could be basking in 25C today.

The unusual temperatures are mainly due to lots of sun heating getting through, with sheep and mountain goats experiencing highs hotter than Madrid, which is currently 18C.

But a little-understood weather pattern seen in rugged areas called the ‘foehn effect’, where one side of a mountain is much warmer than the other side, could also be contributing.

On days when Scotland is hotter than England despite being further north, this is often the reason.

The Met Office explains: ‘In simple terms, this is a change from wet and cold conditions one side of a mountain, to warmer and drier conditions on the other (leeward) side. 

‘In the UK, the most notable foehn events tend to occur across the Scottish Highlands where the moist prevailing westerly winds encounter high ground along Scotland’s west coast.

‘This results in a marked contrast in weather conditions across the country with the west being subjected to wet weather, whilst the lower lying east enjoys the warmth and sunshine of the foehn effect.’

Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge told Metro.co.uk: ‘Often higher temperatures in Scotland compared to England are driven by the foehn effect, but on this occasion, it appears this is only having a weak influence at best.

‘A larger factor is local conditions allowing natural heating from the sun to penetrate to ground level significantly increasing temperature.

‘Conditions further south and especially along the east coast are suppressing temperatures, with values around 10C less than those values being seen in the Highlands.’

He said that the 24C and 25C temperatures were expected to be recorded at isolated stations in the Highlands rather than being widespread.

The foehn weather phenomenon occurs around the world, and can influence conditions for hundreds of miles downwind.

It is so famous in some areas that Foehn winds have their own nicknames, such as the Chinook or ‘snow eater’ in the North American Rocky Mountains, and the Zonda of the South American Andes.

Closer to home, the Pennines in northern England are affected by the Helm wind.

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