Residents of Tayside and Fife are being told to expect thunderstorms and heavy rain this week after a spell of blue skies and high temperatures.
Weather experts at the Met Office are warning that some areas could even see localised flooding and warn hillwalkers to stay away from high altitudes due to a risk of lightning strikes.
The forecast comes following a prolonged heatwave, with temperatures hitting as high as 26.5°C.
The Met Office say the sharp turn in weather will come as cold air from high in the atmosphere meets the warmer air on the surface.
This could cause thunderstorms to form, with slow winds meaning that they are likely to linger in some areas.
‘A pretty unsettled week’
Met Office spokesman Steven Keates says: “We’re looking at a pretty unsettled week for most of Scotland in general.
“The detail is still a little bit elusive but I would say that going into Wednesday and Thursday there is definitely a risk of some heavy and slow-moving thunderstorms forming over parts of central and northern Scotland.
“This is going to come from all the low pressure that we’ve had recently and the colder air from higher in the atmosphere meeting that hotter surface air.
“Because we have quite slow winds just now there’s a chance that these storms may keep forming over the same areas again and again.
“Obviously that creates a risk of localised flooding for some places but we haven’t put any warnings out at the moment.
“I would keep an eye on the forecast though, because I suspect that some kind of warnings will be sent out when we have a clearer picture of what the weather will be.
“It’s one to keep an eye out for.”
‘Take steps to stay out of it’
The spokesman is also advising people living in Tayside and Fife to be extra aware of the forecast in their area due to the risk of storms.
He adds: “At the moment just keep your eyes on the forecast for next week.
“When we do get to the point where there’s storms I’d say the best advice is to just keep inside as much as possible, take steps to stay out of it.
“For example, hillwalkers and hikers should avoid going out as there is more risk of lightning strikes at those higher elevations.
“Also, if you’re in an area that has a risk of flooding I’m sure you will know what to do.
“You can check the SEPA site for more information on that.”