Trouble brewing: Could Storm Amy spoil your cuppa?

Will you swap a builder's tea for a green tea on Friday night?

When there's a storm brewing outside, sometimes all you want to do is curl up on the sofa with a good cup of tea.

But as Scotland braces itself for the first named storm of the season, scientists are warning Storm Amy could have an unexpected effect on our brews.

Dr Simon Lee, an expert in atmospheric science at the University of St Andrews, said the storm could throw boiling point out of kilter.

That means that in some parts of Scotland water will boil at a temperature slightly lower than 100C - risking spoiling your evening cuppa.

Dr Lee says it's all down to explosive cyclogenesis - a rapid deepening of a low pressure which is expected to reach its peak intensity on Friday night.

He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We expect the storm to intensify to a rate which is almost twice the threshold needed to be called an explosive cyclogenesis.

"That means the pressure off the north west of Scotland will probably be a record low for the time of year."

He added: "Actually, a little interesting tit bit is that this means the boiling point of water will be probably 98C for parts of the north west of Scotland on Friday night, in theory."

Dr Lee said atmospheric pressure affects the boiling point of water

Dr Lee said the boiling point of water depended on the atmospheric pressure that the water was under.

"So, if you live at a high altitude where the pressure is low the boiling point is low," he said.

"Also, in winter when we see very high pressure on some of those cold, still foggy nights then the boiling point of water can go well above 100C.

"And the outcome of all of this is that if you brew a cup of tea on Friday night in the north west of Scotland, in theory, it will taste worse.

"Whether or not people notice - that is another question."

Rachael Robertson runs The West Highland Tea Company

Tea fan Rachael Robertson is among those whose brews could be affected by Storm Amy.

She lives in the west Highlands and in 2020 she established The West Highland Tea Company in Mallaig.

"Making the perfect cup of tea really comes down to three things: the right water temperature, good quality tea leaves, and good water," she said.

"You need that high temperature to activate the chemical compounds that are in black tea, to get that body and full flavour that comes from a black tea that people know and love."

Her business mainly deals with loose leaf tea and has its own range of hand-blended teas and infusions using ingredients from all over the world.

She said: "We do it by weight, so for 500ml we go for 5g of tea and then straight off the boil, pour it in and then let it sit for three minutes.

"However, even if the storm nudges the boiling point down a degree or two, the other two key factors: the quality of the tea and the quality of the water are arguably more important for making a brew that tastes great."

And she suggested alternatives for those craving their tea-fix when the low pressure hit.

"Maybe try a green tea because that doesn't need the same high temperatures," she said.

"It's about 80C for a green tea. Let it come off the boil and try something new."