Temperatures across Scotland plunge below -7C on spring equinox

The spring equinox has the potential to be the warmest day of 2025 south of the border, but last night temperatures across Scotland plunged below -7C.

Thursday is the first day of astronomical spring, and parts of the UK could be hotter than Barcelona in Spain and Athens in Greece, where highs of 15C and 12C are forecast, respectively.

But overnight, parts of Scotland recorded lows of well below freezing.

In Braemar, the temperature dropped to -7.9C, in Tulloch Bridge to -6.7C, in Balmoral to 6.4C, and in Tyndrum to 6.4C.

Last night, in Bishopton in Renfrewshire, temperatures dropped to -2.8C, while Gogarbank in Edinburgh slipped to -3.5C and Dyce in Aberdeenshire got down to -3.1C.

STV News meteorologist Sean Batty said temperatures, however, could reach as high as 18C in the north Highlands by Friday.

The highest temperature recorded in Scotland in 2025 remains 18.3C, logged at Threave in Dumfries and Galloway on March 8.

Rain and stronger winds sweeping across all parts of the country is also forecast for the weekend.

Meteorological spring always starts on March 1 while astronomical spring, or the equinox, begins around March 20 each year.

The other equinox is in September and both mark the sun crossing the equator, rather than being at an angle.

Day and night are therefore about the same length.

Insight Sean Batty STV News Meteorologist

It may feel like things have quietened down considerably since Storm Eowyn swept through the country in January, but does that mean we’re out of the woods and can look forward to the long, warm days of spring?

The season at least starts this Thursday, but we know the road to spring weather is never a straight one.

While the nights have remained chilly, the past few weeks have brought some welcome sunshine.

This week, temperatures will edge up slightly, with highs of 18C possible in the north Highlands by Friday — the warmest there so far this year.

The highest temperature recorded in Scotland in 2025 remains 18.3C, logged at Threave in Dumfries and Galloway on March 8.

The east coast, however, will stay cooler, thanks to a gentle onshore breeze.

Nights will gradually become milder, though Tuesday night is expected to be the coldest of the week, with temperatures dipping to a bitter -5C in parts of the Highlands, Aberdeenshire, Perthshire, and South Lanarkshire.

You’ve probably noticed the evenings stretching out, with daylight increasing by around two minutes per day at this point in March.

Sunset is currently around 6.30pm for most of the country, but with the clocks changing at the end of the month, we’ll soon be enjoying light evenings until around 8pm.

Sadly, while Scotland will bask in sunshine and rising temperatures over the next few days, a shift is on the horizon.

The weekend will bring rain and stronger winds sweeping across all parts, ushering in a more unsettled pattern.

That said, it looks like we won’t be advancing to the letter “F” on the storm list anytime soon.

So while the weather may turn a little more changeable, at least March won’t be going out like a lion.