A HEATWAVE which could be set to produce the hottest temperatures this year is sweeping across Scotland.

After a weekend of wall-to-wall sunshine around the whole of the UK, temperatures in Glasgow are set to hit 26C on Wednesday and Thursday.

Very high levels of pollen and UV mean that hay fever sufferers are in for a difficult time and everyone should try to be careful they avoid burning in the sun, experts have warned.

Scots weatherman Sean Batty warned his 150,000 Twitter followers: “Remember that UV levels are now at the extreme end of the scale for Scotland. You’ll burn very quickly in the sunshine over the next week or so. Please make sure you’ve got plenty of suntan lotion on.”

Met Office forecaster Mark Foster said it is possible “the hottest day for the year for all four parts of the UK could be bettered this week.

He said: “There is a fairly good chance we will see the hottest day so far. There is a chance it could possibly be tomorrow.”

The top temperature in Scotland this year was recorded on May 29.

Achnagart in Ross and Cromarty boasted a temperature of 27.5C.

Temperatures in south and south east Scotland could see around 25C to 26C on Monday.

Urging everyone to take precautions, Mr Foster said: “High pressure is going to dominate this week so we can expect very high levels of pollen and UV. If you are in the sun you have a greater chance of getting burnt in the short term.”

The heat the UK is having is homegrown as high pressure, according to the Met Office.

Long days, very still conditions and clear skies help June temperatures to get very intense. The sun in June is relatively the highest it gets in the sky and heat can build up over successive days.