Aberdeen has finally emerged from its longest sunless period on record, with residents catching a glimpse of sunshine for the first time in 21 days. This marks the end of a streak that began on January 21, as confirmed by Met Office records dating back to 1957.
End of a Record-Breaking Dry Spell
The Granite City in north-east Scotland saw the sun briefly appear late on Thursday afternoon, with the Met Office officially recording 30 minutes of sunshine in the Dyce area up to 4pm. This break in the weather follows weeks of unrelenting rain that has drenched the region and much of the UK throughout 2026.
Heavy Rainfall and Snowfall Impacts
In January alone, more than 277mm of rain fell on Aboyne in Aberdeenshire, which is approximately four times the monthly average. The first ten days of the year also brought heavy snow to north-east Scotland, compounding the challenging weather conditions.
Meanwhile, south-east England received nearly a third of its average February rainfall in just the first three days of the month, highlighting the widespread nature of the wet weather across the country.
Continued Wintry Weather Warnings
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow and ice for most of Scotland and northern England, effective until 12pm on Friday. Grahame Madge, a Met Office spokesperson, explained that an Arctic maritime air mass is responsible for the dropping temperatures.
"The snow and ice warnings that we’ve issued at the moment cover pretty much Scotland and northern parts of England," Madge said. "There may be some snow showers a little bit further south than that. We’re not expecting any particularly impactful snow and the conditions will be quite brief before we get another system coming in from the Atlantic over the weekend, but for the next few days it will feel quite a bit different, as we’ve got colder air coming in."
Weather Pattern Shift Brings Hope
BBC Scotland weather presenter Judith Ralston noted a significant change in the weather pattern, stating: "With a change in weather type, we finally lose the stuck pattern of cloud, rain, and bitingly cold winds. This finally breaks, allowing a northerly air mass to set in, bringing much drier, brighter conditions, sunshine on the way on Friday and Saturday and a few wintry showers on Friday."
This shift offers a temporary respite from the persistent gloom, with forecasts predicting clearer skies and sunshine for the upcoming days, albeit accompanied by some wintry showers.
