New Met Office amber weather warning for rain amid risk of floods, power cuts and people being cut off
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for parts of north-east Scotland, indicating an increased risk of flooding to homes and businesses.
The warning, which will come into force at midnight and last until 6pm, will affect areas including Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Stirling, Highlands, Eilean Siar, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray.
This follows a wider yellow rain warning across much of north-east Scotland, which runs from 6pm on Wednesday until 11.59pm on Friday.
The Met Office has warned that properties and commercial premises in the worst-affected areas are likely to experience flooding.
It was also stated that there may be delays or cancellations in public transportation and transportation to some communities may be cut off.
Drivers are warned to be careful, while the Met Office said power outages were possible.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has one flood warning for Churchill Barriers in the Orkney Islands and six less severe flood warnings for parts of north-east and central Scotland.
The Scottish Government said its multi-agency response team will monitor the situation closely as conditions worsen.
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “The Met Office is forecasting heavy rain in parts of eastern Scotland over the next few days, which is likely to lead to disruption to the transport network.
“If you need to travel, please make sure you plan your journey before you set off. Motorists can use the Traffic Scotland service to see if their route is available, they have the most up-to-date information on the major road network on their website, social media channels and radio broadcasts.
“Forecast conditions are also likely to affect the rail network, so please check with ScotRail to see if your service is affected. The same advice applies to anyone planning to travel by air or ferry.”
ScotRail has speed restrictions in place on its Perth to Inverness route from 6pm on Wednesday until 9.30am on Saturday and on its Aberdeen to Inverness routes from 12.01am on Thursday until 12.00am on Friday.
Ferry operator CalMac canceled all Oban-Coll-Tiree services on Thursday and said some other services may suffer cancellations or delays at short notice.
Police Scotland has advised motorists to use caution when traveling while weather warnings remain in place.
Chief Superintendent Scott McCarren, head of roads policing, said: “A yellow warning for rain means there is a high risk of disruption to the road network and travel conditions could be hazardous.
“For this reason, drivers are advised to be more careful while driving and avoid non-essential journeys until road conditions improve.
“If you need to travel, plan ahead and make sure both you and your vehicle are properly equipped for the conditions you may encounter, and be aware that delays may cause you to be in your vehicle for longer, so make sure your mobile phone is charged and you have plenty of fuel, warm clothing, food and water.
“Please pay attention to all road signs and warnings regarding flooded roads or surface water and do not attempt to access routes that are closed due to conditions.
“Continue to monitor media outlets for further updates and check the Traffic Scotland website and social media channels for information on affected roads.”
