THE warmest ever February day in Scotland has been recorded with unseasonably mild temperatures across the UK, according to the Met Office.

Aboyne in Aberdeenshire hit the maximum temperature of 18.3C (64.94F) on Thursday afternoon.

It beats the previous high of 17.9C (64.22F) recorded in Aberdeen on February 22, 1897.

The maximum temperature of that day nearly 122 years ago was matched at 12.23pm and by 1.39pm the mercury had risen another 0.4C (0.72F).

The mercury in Glasgow hit highs of just over 12C on Thursday shortly after lunchtime as residents across the city and its surrounding areas enjoyed an unseasonably warm day.

A spell of warm weather this weekend is set to bring temperatures in other parts of the UK close to their own records for February.

Glasgow Times:

Things in Glasgow are looking up with the Met Office forecasting Friday to be dry with some clear spells though a good deal of high cloud at times. It will be mild with locally strong southerly winds. The minimum temperature will be 9C.

The national weather service added: “Saturday will be a dry and fairly bright morning, then cloud with thicken from the west to bring a little rain for a time, though it will dry up again later. The maximum temperature will be 12C.

READ MORE: Taps aff? Warm weekend weather in Glasgow could break February records

“Sunday will be dry with some sunshine, though cloudier later. Monday and Tuesday will stay dry with sunny spells and remaining very mild.”

Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said the mild weather will be unlikely to reach such a high in Scotland again this month.

He said: “Aboyne at just before 1.40pm on Thursday afternoon hit 18.3C - that beat the previous record of 17.9C way back in 1897.

"A few stations don't report every hour so it may or may not go up, but we can say it's the warmest February day in Scotland on record.

"Over the next few days it'll be very mild temperatures, today is possibly the mildest for the next few days.

"It could be early next week until it's as mild again, though whether we'll see 18.3C is unlikely.

"So the mild theme is set to continue and it will be pleasantly spring-like through early next week."

Fellow Met Office spokesman Richard Miles said "a lot would have to align" for the UK-wide record to be broken.

He added: "It is unlikely from what we are seeing at the moment."

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