The air, land and sea also absorb and release heat at different rates.
Inland areas, such as Aviemore, Aboyne and Tomintoul, tend to have a more dramatic diurnal range in spring, while the coasts and islands will be cooler with a lower swing.
In contrast to the 21.4C recorded in Aviemore on Thursday, Inchbervie on the Aberdeenshire coast reached just 8.4C at its warmest – not quite “taps aff” weather.
Hillier areas also see greater swings in temperatures as humidity is a large factor.
Moist cloudy air can slow down both heating and cooling because water vapour absorbs the heat, affecting the temperature differences in coastal areas.
