SCOTS are enjoying a mini heatwave with two of the hottest days of the year coming back to back.
The Met Office said that the thermometer reached 24C in part of Scotland yesterday, topping Wednesday's high of 23C.
The balmy weather extended across much of the country, with both Glasgow and Edinburgh basking in 22C heat, with unbroken sunshine across just about everywhere except the Outer Hebrides and Shetland.
Soaring temperatures were also to be found in the Borders and north east, with highs of 21C recorded at Stirling, Jedburgh and Banchory.
However, the summer sun isn't set to last with forecasters predicting the arrival of a cold front just in time for the weekend.
A spokesman for the Met Office said: "The warm weather should continue on Friday, although we probably won't see temperatures quite as high as we did on the previous two days.
"But then a system of low pressure will arrive, bringing northern winds and quite a lot of cloud cover, cooling things off rapidly.
"On Saturday it could be as low as 14C in Edinburgh, a drop of 10C on the preceding days, and it will be very noticeable."
A joint warning has been issued by Scottish Water and the emergency services against setting off fire hydrants which could endanger lives.
The water board, along with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland, are calling on the public not to set of or vandalise the hydrants.
Reduced water pressure can hamper the ability of firefighters to tackle blazes and the vandalism can also cause localised flooding in streets.
Vandalising or setting off a fire hydrant could also lead to a fine of up to £5,000.
It is expected that better weather will arrive early next week, with the mercury set to climb up into the mid teens as the week goes on.
The Met Office spokesman said: "After the weekend the picture does improve."
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