A weather warning for thunderstorms and heavy rain is in place across Scotland for the entirety of Friday, following days of baking temperatures.
Temperatures reached a high of 29.4C at Dyce in Aberdeen on Tuesday, according to Met Office data, and the high 20Cs in large parts of the country.
Forecasters predict temperatures may rise into the low 30Cs in some areas on Thursday, potentially breaking the record June temperature for Scotland of 32.3C, which was recorded at Ochtertyre in Perthshire on June 18, 1893.
However the weather is set to change dramatically as rainier conditions sweep in from the north west.
A Met Office yellow warning for thunderstorms and heavy rain is in place for Inverness and much of the north of Scotland from 3pm on Thursday.
The warning area widens to cover all of Scotland with the exception of Shetland throughout Friday.
Forecasters said there is a small chance homes and businesses could flood, while storms and lightning strikes could cause travel disruption.
The Met Office forecast said: “Spells of heavy rain and thunderstorms initially over north-west Scotland are likely to become more widespread during Friday morning.
“Further thunderstorms and spells of heavy rain are possible in the afternoon before becoming confined to more northern areas of Scotland later in the day.”
There is also likely to be frequent lightning, large hail of up to 4cm in diameter, and locally gusty winds.
Amid the hot weather, ScotRail warned high temperatures can pose challenges for the railway as steel rails expand as they heat up in direct sunlight.
It said temporary speed restrictions may be put in place on some routes to ensure services continue to operate safely, which could lead to slightly longer journey times and, in some cases, minor service alterations.
Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, said: “As temperatures rise across Scotland this week, we’re encouraging customers to take a few simple steps to help ensure they have a safe and comfortable journey.
“Staying hydrated, checking your journey before travelling, and speaking to a member of staff if you feel unwell can all make a big difference.
“Hot weather can also create challenges for the railway, and there may be occasions where temporary speed restrictions are introduced to maintain the safe operation of services.”
On Thursday, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said the dry weather is causing a risk of water scarcity in some areas.
In the Tyne catchment in Lothian, Sepa reported “moderate scarcity” of water.
Eilidh Johnston, senior leader in compliance at Sepa, said: “Recent warm and dry weather has seen our first moderate scarcity warning of the year issued for the Tyne catchment in Lothian.
“Several areas across the east of the country have also moved to alert status.
“Conditions remain drier than normal across several eastern catchments and river flows are low to very low for this time of year there.
“As a result, there remains a risk of water scarcity developing into summer, particularly across the east, if summer rainfall is lower than normal.”
Read MoreFrom Spain to Ireland: What to know about the deadly heatwave across Europe
Scotland fans lose hope of reaching knock-out stages after Brazil defeat
London’s hottest Tube lines revealed as capital bakes in record-breaking heatwave
Noah Donohoe inquest jury told to reach findings on evidence heard in court
Abusers who inflict conversion therapy on LGBTQ+ people to face jail time
Reform-led government in UK could be an ‘accelerator’ to Irish unity – Varadkar
