A heatwave is forecast to bring sweltering conditions to Scotland this week after more than a month of sodden weather.
The country is expected to bask in temperatures of up to 28C come Friday as hot weather arrives in the country from Spain and France.
However many in Tayside and Fife could miss out on the very best of the conditions with the West Coast and Central Belt expected to soak up most of the sunshine.
The Met Office says the sweltering temperatures, arriving from the south as a result of high pressure, will reach a peak on Friday.
The grim weather which brought thunderstorms and heavy rainfall to Courier country on Monday is expected to clear to make way for warmer conditions on Tuesday.
Afterwards three days of clear skies and sunshine is predicted from Wednesday into Friday.
Met Office meteorologist Sophie Yeomans said: “It will definitely be turning warmer. On Tuesday we’ll have some rain early on. It’s an improving picture throughout the day.
“The rain will mainly be around the hills and the mountains. It will definitely be getting hotter for a lot of places.
“By the end of the week it is starting to settle down. We have got high pressure coming in. That is the reason why it is turning more settled. Temperatures will probably peak on Friday.
“Wednesday will see highs of 23C-24C across the whole of Scotland with the highest area the Central Belt. (Locally) it will still be in the kind of low-20s and certainly getting warmer.
“Thursday is warmer with 25C-26C in the Central Belt. Locally it will be 21C-22C.
“On Friday possibly the highest temperatures will be around the Central Belt with 27C-28C.
“Elsewhere it will be up to 23C-24C in a few places. Wherever you are it will be getting hotter by the time we get to the weekend. Friday will be the peak.
“But Saturday is a mixed bag. You will have seen the peak by then. We have got a few showers around but obviously that is quite far off at the moment.
“On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday chances are it is going to be staying mainly dry across the whole of Scotland really.”
While 28C heat is expected in the Central Belt and West Coast on Friday; there is a chance the East Coast could be hit by fog and lower temperatures.
Miss Yeomans said the best of the weather will be in the west, adding that parts of Perthshire are likely to be the best locations to soak up the sunshine locally.
She said: “On Friday anywhere towards the west is going to be the warmest I think. The further you go over towards the west the warmer it is going to be. The further east you go and towards the North Sea it is a bit cooler.
“There is a lot of fog and low cloud along the coast. Some places might not go above 11C/12C. That is mainly for eastern, central areas.
“I think it might be a tale of two halves. It will be better to keep up-to-date nearer the time as the forecast may change nearer the time.
The heat expected in Scotland could surpass that of Tenerife, which is due to be 25C on Friday, and Lisbon in Portugal, which is due to be 26C.
However England is expected to soak up the best of the UK’s weather this week.
The Met Office has not ruled out the heatwave being a June record-breaker for Britain.
“The heat is coming up from Spain and up through France really from the south, they have had really hot temperatures,” Miss Yeomans said.
“The hottest temperatures in the UK in June is 35.6C in London, set in 1976, but there is a chance by Friday some parts of the south-west of England could get 34C-35C. So it is not completely out of the question they could get their hottest temperature.
“In Scotland in June 32.2C is the record. It is unlikely that we’d beat that record for Scotland. Some parts of Europe could be up to 40C or so this week.”
