From chilly nights to sunny days: Why is Scotland experiencing temperature extremes?

Have you found yourself soaking up the sun in Scotland recently - only to take a hot water bottle to bed at night?

You're likely not alone. High pressure lying over Scotland has scared off April showers and led to above average temperatures and spring sunshine.

But the clear skies that bring sunshine and warm conditions can also cause significant drops in temperature overnight.

On Thursday Tomintoul in Moray started the day at -7C and climbed to 20C in about nine hours - an increase of 27C.

"We often see large temperature swings in spring but the numbers from Tomintoul are impressive," said BBC Weather presenter Christopher Blanchett.

Clear skies and light winds combined with spring sunshine can push the temperatures up.

But a lack of cloud overnight means heat can escape quickly once the sun sets.

Spring nights are still relatively long and with cool surface temperatures, people can go from scraping the car in the morning to wearing shorts, a t-shirt and sunglasses in the afternoon.

Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands reached 21.4C - the highest temperature in Scotland on Thursday - climbing from -2.1C overnight.

Meanwhile, Aboyne in Aberdeenshire recorded 19.4C at its peak but started with a chilly overnight minimum of -4.7C - an increase of 24.1C.

These huge swings are known as the diurnal temperature range - the difference between the highest and lowest temperature of the day.

Afternoons are normally the warmest part of the day because the sun has had time to warm the ground and surrounding air, while the coldest time is usually just before sunrise as the ground has lost heat throughout the night.

Blanchett said the 27C diurnal range in Tomintoul was higher than a typical diurnal range in spring.

But he added that the biggest recorded range in Scotland was on 14 January 1979 when the temperature at Lagganlia in Inverness-shire went from -23.5C to 6.6C - a swing of 30.1C.

Solar radiation determines the temperature and create this rollercoaster.

Sunnier, longer days are often warmer in spring than cloudy dull ones because of the strength and amount of direct sunshine available.

The air, land and sea also absorb and release heat at different rates.

Inland areas, such as Aviemore, Aboyne and Tomintoul, tend to have a more dramatic diurnal range in spring, while the coasts and islands will be cooler with a lower swing.

In contrast to the 21.4C recorded in Aviemore on Thursday, Inchbervie on the Aberdeenshire coast reached just 8.4C at its warmest - not quite "taps aff" weather.

Hillier areas also see greater swings in temperatures as humidity is a large factor.

Moist cloudy air can slow down both heating and cooling because water vapour absorbs the heat, affecting the temperature differences in coastal areas.

Ultraviolet (UV) levels are also set to be high in Scotland over the weekend but before the sun loungers come out, the temperatures are likely not to be as warm as what we could see later in the summer.

But Blanchett said: "Sometimes on a clear spring day, the sun in April can be just as strong as it is in August."

While exposure and small amounts of radiation is essential to produce vitamin D, overexposure can have health effects on the skin, eyes and immune system.

The UV in spring is normally strongest around 13:00 and at higher elevations.

High pressure is set to continue over the weekend, with frosty mornings and pleasant afternoons in store.

"It will be cooler over the weekend with more cloud but the largely dry and settled conditions will hold on into next week," said Blanchett.

"Temperatures should climb back to the high teens or 20C again inland by Tuesday or Wednesday."

The warmest day of 2026 so far was 7 April, when temperatures in Kinloss in Moray reached 22.5C.

Two of Scotland's mountain snowsports centres said they had conditions for ski and sledging enthusiasts.

Cairngorm Mountain, near Aviemore, said the snow it has had firmed up overnight after temperatures dropped to -1C.

The resort said it had "great snow cover" in its Ptarmigan Bowl area.

Glencoe Mountain said it had snow for sledging, and its chairlifts were available to ski tourers to help them reach snow at higher levels.

In 2010, skiing was still possible at Cairngorm Mountain until midsummer in June.