Strawberry moon set to brighten the night sky after week of sunny spells

A strawberry moon is set to be visible across the sky in Scotland on Saturday night.

The full moon will be visible under clear conditions but will peak around 4.40am.

The name is given to the last full moon of the spring, which is sometimes the first full moon of the summer.

The name does not come from the moon’s appearance or colour but instead is derived from Native American tribes “to mark the ripening of ‘June-bearing’ strawberries”.

It comes after a week of sunny spells with temperatures reaching 25C in parts of Scotland.

STV weather presenter Philip Petrie said: “Tonight most of the country will experience clear skies, with low cloud mainly affecting the Northern Isles, Western Isles and northern mainland coasts.

“Given the cloud it will keep temperatures up overnight, and under the clear skies (where things normally turn chilly overnight) temperatures won’t drop too far given how warm it has been during the daytime.

“As well tonight we have a full moon, and tonight’s full moon is called The Strawberry Moon. It will be visible throughout the night under clear conditions, but will peak around 4:40am.

“This particular full moon is given its name as this is the perfect time of year for wild strawberries to ripen (and it is believed the moon has a pinky glow). On very rare occasions the strawberry moon coincides with the summer solstice.

“So for anyone enjoying a Saturday night barbeque in the late evening sunshine tonight, keep an eye out for the rising full moon.”