Scotland is set to experience a change in weather after a five-week stretch of dry conditions, with heavy rain, hail, and thunder expected over the upcoming weekend. Drivers in Argyll have been cautioned about potential landslides on the A83, prompting the opening of an alternate route as a safety measure. The environmental agency Sepa has highlighted water scarcity across the country following the driest period in Scotland in six decades. Despite the incoming rain forecasted from Friday night onwards, Sepa has stated that it is unlikely to sufficiently replenish river levels, emphasizing the need for well above average rainfall after the prolonged dry spell.
In specific parts of Scotland, notably in Fife and the east, where there has been no rainfall for more than a month, the situation is dire. Sepa has warned that if significant rainfall does not occur within the next seven days, the River Esk in Dumfriesshire will reach a state of significant scarcity. The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll has a history of landslips, leading roads agency Bear Scotland to initiate the opening of the Old Military Road as a precautionary measure from Friday evening until Tuesday morning. Euan Scott, Bear Scotland’s north-west representative, emphasized the importance of road user safety and the agency’s monitoring of conditions at the Rest and Be Thankful on a daily basis.
Since 1964, Scotland has not experienced such a prolonged dry period, with the start of the year marked as the driest in over half a century. The hottest day of the year was recorded on 13 May, with temperatures reaching 25.5C in locations such as Tyndrum in Stirling and Auchincruive in South Ayrshire. Remarkably, the current spring season is on track to be the driest in more than a hundred years as noted by the Met Office. BBC Scotland’s senior weather presenter Christopher Blanchett attributed the lack of rain in parts of Scotland to a blocked weather pattern, with high pressure dominating and keeping conditions dry and warm. However, the weekend is forecasted to bring a change, with high pressure giving way to Atlantic weather systems, resulting in heavy rain, showers, and unsettled conditions accompanied by hail, thunder, and blustery winds
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