A winter of exceptional storms looks set to finally give way this weekend to the first signs of spring as forecasters say people in Moray could be basking in warmer weather than Istanbul.
Temperatures as high as 17deg are being predicted for Moray and the north east with the hills of the Highlands being credited with protecting the region from a deluge of more seasonal wind and rain set for western regions.
A Met Office spokesman said: “Direction of winds that are set to hit the west will have a major effect on Moray’s weather this weekend.
“Moray will be shielded by the Highland mountains so we should see the highest temperatures recorded there – although the precise direction of the wind will determine if the hotter weather lands on the Moray or Aberdeenshire coast. This time it seems that Moray will be lucky.”
The spokesman added that while Lossiemouth and Kinloss are the “usual suspects” for reporting higher temperatures, this time around it could just as easily be Buckie, Elgin or Forres.
Temperatures in Moray are expected to reach between 14deg and 16deg on Saturday – however, locals should make the most of that as it will be much cooler again by Sunday, before falling back to a seasonal average of around 7deg on Monday.
Istanbul residents can expect just 6deg on Saturday.