Met Office issues warnings as heavy rain expected to hit Scotland

Heavy rain is expected to hit large parts of Scotland this week with yellow weather warnings issued just days after Storm Kathleen.

The Met Office issued two yellow warnings covering part of mainland Scotland for Tuesday and another for Wednesday, after much of the country was battered by Storm Kathleen at the weekend.

A yellow rain warning covering south and eastern regions, including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, is in place from 1am to 6pm on Tuesday, amid fears that some communities could be cut off by floods.

Meteorologists also predicted that homes and businesses could be flooded, particularly in southern Scotland and the south of the Central Lowlands, along with possible road closures on Tuesday.

Another yellow warning was issued for rain on Wednesday covering the west, including Glasgow, Oban, Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire, and Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, which were predicted to be hit by heavy rain with the risk of flooding between 9am and 6pm.

The Met Office warned people to anticipate that bus and train journeys would take longer on both days, while drivers were told to be aware of spray and flooding on the roads adding additional travel time.

Between 20-40mm of rain is expected across most areas, but some places could see as much as 50-60 mm of rainfall, the Met Office said.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has 14 flood alerts and seven flood warnings in place.

The Met Office warning for Tuesday said: “Fast-flowing or deep floodwater is possible, with one or two communities temporarily cut off by flooded roads.”

Cloud and rain will stall across parts of Scotland on Tuesday, it was predicted, but it will turn brighter elsewhere with scattered showers through the afternoon.

Unsettled conditions will continue into Wednesday as more cloud and rain arrives from the west and pushes eastwards throughout the day.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “Homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings, this more likely in southern Scotland and the south of the Central Lowlands.

“There is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses. Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, together with possible delays or cancellations to train and bus services – most likely in the south of the warning area.

“Fast-flowing or deep floodwater is possible, with one or two communities temporarily cut off by flooded roads.”

Oli Claydon, meteorologist from the Met Office, said: “With the rain warnings, it’s just a case of knowing your flood risk. The rain pushes further north quite quickly before the wind comes into play.”