CAPITAL’S THE TALK OF THE STEAMIE

By mid-afternoon, the mercury had touched 28.8C.

The Capital eclipsed its west coast rival, Glasgow, which registered a mere 26C.

And across the country, Scots were enjoying sweltering temperatures including 27.6C at Aviemore and 26.8C at Aboyne, near Aberdeen. Met office forecaster Sarah Holland said: “These high temperatures will tail off by the weekend, when we can expect a combination of sunshine and showers.”

In the meantime, a severe weather warning has been posted for the Highlands, Central, Tayside, Fife and Strathclyde regions, which are expected to see the heaviest rainfall.