Changes in the Scottish climate

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Abstract
Spatial and temporal variations in the Scottish climate are determined, to a large extent, by the controlling influence of the circumpolar westerly component of the global atmospheric circulation. Smaller-scale variations are related to proximity to coasts, the nature of sur-face cover such as urban or afforested areas, and topography. Observations from eight Scottish climatological stations were extracted from the Monthly Weather Report of the Meteorological Office for the period 1964 to 1993 in order to identify any recent trends in climate. The general conclusions reached are that there has been (i) a decrease in direct solar radiation in western Scotland, with some indication of an increase in the east, (ii) an increase in air temperature in winter and spring, (iii) an increase in precipitation during the winter months in north-west Scotland with slight decreases in the east, and (iv) some evidence of an increase in the frequency and strength of westerly winds. These are consistent with an increasing influence of middle-latitude westerlies during the winter half-year which may possibly be linked to larger-scale climate changes resulting from global warming.