Heavy rain and strong winds forecast as yellow weather warning comes into force

Scots are being warned of travel disruption and flooding on Monday as a yellow weather alert for rain comes into force.

The Met Office warning for the south west of Scotland comes into force from 2pm and will remain in place until midnight.

The forecaster said heavy rain could cause spray and flooding on roads could make journey times longer and that bus and trains services are likely to be impacted.

Strong winds have also been forecast for some parts of the country.

“Rain will become heavy and persistent during Monday afternoon and evening,” the Met Office said.

“25-35 mm will fall quite widely with as much as 50-60 mm in the wettest spots.

“The rain will be accompanied by strong southerly winds. The rain should clear to the east by midnight.”

Scots will feel a brief reprieve on Tuesday before another warning, covering nearly all of western Scotland, comes into force.

Forecasters extended the warning across more of the country and brought it forward to 9am on Wednesday – ending at 3pm on Thursday.

Up to 100mm of rain is expected throughout the warning period alongside gusts of up to 60mph which could lead to flooding and further travel disruption.

The Met Office said there was a “slight chance” of power cuts later and a “small chance” that homes in the worst hit regions could be flooded.

Commuters are also warned over the impact on public transport as well as roads being flooded.

“There is a small chance that injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties,” the Met Office said.

It added: “A band of rain is expected to move in from the southwest on Wednesday morning, becoming slow moving with heavy bursts of rain at times, especially over the hills.

“75-100 mm is expected over the course of Wednesday and Thursday for some places, mainly over Argyll and West Highland, with the main bulk of the rain falling within a 24 hour period, with as much as 150 mm possible over some hills.

“Over Southwest Scotland accumulations of 30-50mm are likely.

“The rain will be accompanied by strong southwesterly winds, with gusts perhaps reaching 50-60 mph on the coast and around the islands.

“With spring tides expected, this could also lead to some potentially dangerous conditions on the coast, with spray and wave overtopping. Peak winds are expected during Wednesday evening. Winds will ease through Thursday, along with a gradual clearance of the rain by the end of the day.”

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