Kinlochewe breaks UK January weather record as 19.6C logged by Met Office
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A WESTER Ross village which hit a balmy 19.6C yesterday amid a high wind weather warning has been singled out as a UK record-breaker by the Met Office.
The national climate and weather forecast provider posted yesterday afternoon: "There has provisionally been a new UK January daily max temperature record set today at Kinlochewe where the temperature reached 19.6°C
"This beats the previous January UK record of 18.3°C set at Inchmarlo and Aboyne in 2003 and Aber in 1958 and 1971."
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It's understood the so-called Foehn effect is at play.
That happens when there a change from wet and cold conditions on one side of a mountain, to warmer and drier conditions on the other, the leeward side.
Foehn winds are common in mountainous regions, regularly impacting the lives of their residents and influencing weather conditions for hundreds of kilometres downwind.
Their notoriety has led to recognition by a multitude of names including: the Chinook or "snow eater" of the North American Rocky Mountains; the Zonda of the South American Andes; and the Helm wind of the English Pennines.
According to the Met Office, in the UK, the most notable foehn events tend to occur across the Scottish Highlands where the moist prevailing westerly winds encounter high ground along Scotland's west coast.
This results in a marked contrast in weather conditions across the country with the west being subjected to wet weather, whilst the lower lying east enjoys the warmth and sunshine of the foehn effect.
The Highlands and Islands Weather site called it "an incredible day".
It posted: "19.6c recorded...in Kinlochewe is a new official all time January temperature record for the UK. Unofficially I recorded 20.2C in Ullapool.
"An incredibe day."
It all came amidst trees been toppled in different parts of the Highlands by fierce gusts during a high wind weather warning.
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