Beaches, ice-cream shops and outdoor attractions hectic as mercury rises
July brings blue skies and sizzling sun
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The first day of July heralded heatwave conditions in the north and north-east yesterday.
Temperatures across much of Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Highlands put Naples, Barcelona and Lisbon in the shade.
Beach resorts, ice-cream shops and outdoor attractions reported a roaring trade as sun-seekers made the most of the blue skies.
Not everyone was celebrating, however, as melting tar forced the closure of part of the A96 Aberdeen-Inverness road, from the Haudagain roundabout to Dyce, in the afternoon and sudden thunder showers in Moray caused flash flooding around Forres.
The mercury topped 25.3C at Aberdeen Airport yesterday afternoon.
Aviemore was warmer still at 26.3C, and Kinloss and Aboyne jostled for the title of hottest spot in the north-east at 27.1C and 27.2C respectively – that is into the 80s on the Fahrenheit scale.
Even the far north enjoyed its share of the sun with Wick recording 21.8C, more than 70F.
As the Moray Firth basked in temperatures on a par with the Greek capital of Athens, seaside businesses in Clifton Road, Lossiemouth, said they were exceptionally busy.
Violet Sanderson, bar assistant at the Lossie Inn, said she had been run off her feet. “Customers are telling us they're in for a meal because it's far too hot to cook,” she said.
Along the coast, Alex Murray, of the Portsoy Ice Cream Shop, Seafield Street, said: “It has certainly been very much busier than usual with a lot more folk through the door looking for an ice-cream to cool them down.”
Karen McDonald, business development manager at Codona’s, in Aberdeen, said the amusement park had been extremely busy with day-trippers and office workers using their lunch breaks to soak up the sun.
Marie Duncan, supervisor at the Inversnecky Cafe at Aberdeen beach, said: “I’ve just doubled my ice-cream order.”
Not all businesses were booming. Gordon Henderson, manager of the Fox Lane Garden Centre, was trying to keep his plants from wilting and wondering where the trade had gone. He said: “There has been a sharp decline in the customers today, maybe because they’re all enjoying their own gardens or are off to the seaside.”
Jodie Kilminster, relief duty officer of Stonehaven Open Air Pool, said: “We have been mobbed since the sunshine came out.”
A spokeswoman for the Met Office advised sun worshippers to slap on the sun cream and enjoy the heatwave while it lasts.
“You might see the odd shower moving up on Wednesday night and through Thursday – there could even be thunder – but for the majority of places it will stay hot and dry.
“On the whole the temperatures will be around 25-26C again on Thursday before starting to cool for the weekend. On Friday and Saturday you are looking at temperatures closer to 18 or 19C, possibly with light showers.”
