LAST month was Scotland's fifth wettest March on record, according to the Met Office.

New figures show across the UK, there was an average of 132.9mm rainfall over the month. 

The most rainfall ever recorded in March was in 1981, when the UK saw an average of 150.3mm.

The National:

The amount of rainfall varies significantly across the UK, but the 2019 figures show Scotland saw a particularly wet month. 

Meanwhile, Wales recorded its seventh wettest March, and England its 16th. 

The rain was largely due to the presence of two named storms – Freya and Gareth – which passed over the UK during March.

The storms brought heavy rain, strong winds and even snow in some places.

READ MORE: Stop Climate Chaos Scotland survey shows climate concerns are rising

In contrast, the month was also the UK's 10th warmest March on record.

Some 115.6 hours of sunshine were recorded, making it slightly above average for the time of year.

Last month, the UK experienced its warmest February day on record – just a year on from the extreme snowfall of the Beast from the East.

Aboyne, in Aberdeenshire, hit a maximum of 18.3 degrees centigrade. 

READ MORE: Heatwave: How extreme weather is affecting nature in Scotland

Weather experts put the unusual figures down to warm air coming from Africa and the Canary Islands, while environmental activists warned climate change was behind the record-breaking temperatures. 

The National:

Caroline Lucas, pictured above, former leader of the Green Party, said: "I like spending an afternoon in the sunshine as much as anyone, but it's impossible to shake the feeling that this isn't right."