Thunder and lightning warning ahead of Old Firm clash at Celtic Park

Football fans throughout the country have been warned to expect thunder and lightning on Saturday as parts of Scotland are set to be battered by heavy rainfall.

Premiership champions Celtic host Rangers at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon in the first Old Firm game of the season, and supporters can expect the rain to start getting heavy just ahead of the teams kicking off at 12.30pm.

The rest of the league kicks off at 3pm on Saturday as Ross County host Aberdeen, Kilmarnock travel to Edinburgh to play Hibernian, Livingston play Hearts in West Lothian, St Mirren play St Johnstone in Perth and Motherwell host Dundee United.

The Met Office has imposed a yellow weather warning for much of the west coast as they predicted up to four inches of rain could fall in a matter of hours alongside the risk of thunder, lightning and volatile conditions on Saturday.

Downpours are expected in the south west, where the alert is to remain in place from midnight until 11.59pm, but further inclement conditions are expected into Sunday.

Experts have said it will bring an end to one of the hottest Scottish summers on record after temperatures reached 35C for the first time.

Rangers travel across the city with both teams still unbeaten in the league and the Hoops maintaining a perfect start to the season so far with six wins out of six in all competitions.

Both sides are also preparing for a return to the Champions League with the Ibrox men travelling to Amsterdam to play Ajax on Tuesday and Celtic hosting European champions Real Madrid on Wednesday.

The forecast states: “Areas of heavy rain are expected to pulse northwards across much of Northern Ireland and the south west of Scotland through Saturday, potentially accompanied by thunderstorms.

“Rainfall totals of 30 to 40mm could fall in two to three hours in some places with a low risk of 80 to 100mm in 24 hours, bringing localised flooding and travel disruption.”