THE Met Office has confirmed that Scotland had its hottest June on record.

An average temperature of 14.3C across the month exceeded the previous record, with the overall record for the UK also being broken.

Indeed, the UK recorded an average monthly temperature of 15.8C, exceeding that of the previous highest average, recorded in both 1940 and 1976, of 14.9C.

Scientists said that records were broken in 72 of the 92 areas in the UK where temperature date is recorded with the records for England, Wales and Northern Ireland also being smashed.

"It's officially the hottest June on record for the UK, for mean temperature as well as average maximum and minimum temperature," said Met Office's Mark McCarthy.

It has previously been warned that climate change made breaking average temperature records at least twice as likely.

A shortage of rain across the month has also sparked concern, with just 68% of the average June rainfall falling during the month.