TAYSIDE AND Fife are set to revel in their highest temperatures of the year today—with local areas forecast to have hotter weather than many renowned European resorts.

Sandals, shorts and suntan lotion will be the order of the day as the Met Office has predicted temperatures as high as 28C in Dundee and St Andrews and even 30C in Perth, as Scotland continues to bask in baking hot summer sun.

Forecasters are predicting the highest July temperatures ever recorded this week, with a 30% probability of breaking the all-time UK temperature record tomorrow.

The highest temperature recorded in the UK is 38.5C at Faversham in Kent on August 10, 2003.

Highs of 37C are expected, but the record could be broken as one or two locations in the south-east of England might reach 39C (102F).

The UK is enjoying a prolonged period of very settled weather, with cloudless skies and strong sunshine and, over the coming days, hotter air will move across from Europe, causing the temperature to rise further.

The outlook is for slightly cooler weather to move across the country by the end of the week, although temperatures are expected to remain above average for the rest of the month.

Research conducted at the Met Office shows that there is a significant human contribution to these heat waves because of CO2 emissions over recent decades.

It says the rising heat is a sign of things to come, with the current temperatures becoming the summer norm by the middle of this century.