MULTIPLE flood warnings have been put in place as parts of Scotland brace for heavy rain on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has issued 12 flood warnings and 14 flood alerts, mostly in the north of Scotland and the western isles.
Flood alerts are also in place in Ayrshire and Arran, Argyll and Bute, and Dumfries and Galloway.
It comes after the Met Office also issued a yellow weather warning for heavy rain, in place from 11am on Wednesday until 8am on Thursday Areas affected by heavy rain are likely to see 75-100mm of rainfall, though more is forecast over higher ground.
A full list of regions and local authorities set to be affected by heavy rain is below:
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Na h-Eileanan Siar
- Highland
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
- Dumfries and Galloway
Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute
- East Ayrshire
- East Dunbartonshire
- East Renfrewshire
- Glasgow
- Inverclyde
- North Ayrshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
- West Dunbartonshire
Janine Hensman, SEPA’s flood duty manager, also said people in flood alert areas can expect “strong winds, high storm surge and large waves” over the next few days.
“Flooding of coastal roads, paths, causeways and properties near the coast is possible, along with potential disruption to travel and infrastructure,” she added.
“As well as strong winds, heavy rainfall on Wednesday into Thursday may lead to river and surface water flooding, particularly across western Scotland. This brings the potential for flooding of low-lying land, roads, isolated property flooding, and disruption to travel and infrastructure.
“We would urge people to take extra care if they are near the coast. Be careful when around exposed coastal areas and don’t walk or drive through flood water as there may be hidden hazards.”
Ferry operator CalMac, meanwhile, has announced its sailing between Tobermory and Kilchoan will stop at 11:45 am on Wednesday and that multiple services remain liable to disruption or cancellation due to the weather.
Traffic disruption is expected to be caused by the heavy downpours, with Police Scotland and Traffic Scotland urging commuters to plan their journey in advance.
A Met Office spokesperson said: “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.”
