Climate of Scotland
[4] The Scottish Government Resilience Room may be activated during periods of intense weather in the country, such as prolonged rainfall or wind storms.
Rainfall averages 48mm across the country, however, due to the milder climate, flowers such as the cherry blossom begin to bloom along with the resurfacing of various animals who have hibernated over the winter period.
In comparison, much of eastern Scotland receives less than 870 mm (34.3 in) annually; lying in the rain shadow of the western uplands.
[13] This effect is most pronounced along the coasts of Lothian, Fife, Angus and eastern Aberdeenshire, as well as around the city of Inverness.
[14] The maximum amount of sunshine in a calendar month was 329 hours in Tiree in May 1946 and again in May 1975 while the minimum, a mere 36 minutes, was recorded at Cape Wrath in the Highlands in January 1983.
[17] Average annual sunshine hours over the whole territory are 1160 (taking 1971 to 2000 as standard) meaning that the sun shines just over 25% of the time.
Scotland is the windiest country in Europe due to eastward moving Atlantic depressions that bring strong winds and clouds continuously throughout the year.
[20] The windiest areas of Scotland are in the north and west; parts of the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland have over 30 days with gale force winds per year.
[20] Vigorous Atlantic depressions, also known as European windstorms, are a common feature in the autumn and winter in Scotland.
The worst affected area was Southern Scotland where several weather stations reported their highest gust on record.
[31] A rare red warning for wind affecting coastal areas Scotland's eastern coast was issued and impacted between 26 and 27 November 2021.
Storm Éowyn made landfall across Scotland in the morning of 24 January 2025, with many public services, such as schools, closed as a result.
[38] Considered the most devastating storm to hit Scotland in 500 years, the surge crossed between Orkney and Shetland.
[39] The fishing village of Crovie, Banffshire, built on a narrow strip of land along the Moray Firth, was abandoned by many, as large structures were swept into the sea.
In 2002, Glasgow was hit by a series of flash floods that occurred after thunderstorms in the Scottish Lowlands in the end of July and beginning of August 2002.
[40][41] The East End of the city was worst affected, and two hundred people were evacuated from their homes in Greenfield and Shettleston on the Tuesday night.
[42] The antiquated 19th century storm drain and sewer system in that area, having received minimal investment from Scottish Water, was blamed due to its inability to deal with the high capacity of surface runoff.
Annual targets for greenhouse gas emissions must also be set, after consultation the relevant advisory bodies.
It was hailed as "a significant milestone in Scotland's journey to net zero" by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, Neil Gray.
