TORRENTIAL rainfall continues to batter Scotland into Sunday while the weather moves north.
The Met Office has issued an amber warning for rain – meaning “danger to life” – across Angus, Perth and Kinross, Aberdeenshire, Moray and Highland until 3pm on Sunday.
A separate amber warning, stretching from Aviemore to Glasgow, expired at 6am, with much of the rest of the country under yellow warnings.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has 54 flood warnings in place, while a severe flood warning is active for the Aviemore/Dalfaber area.
In a statement, Sepa said extensive flooding is expected to properties and businesses “in and around Aviemore from the early hours of Sunday morning”, with rivers forecast to slowly peak throughout the day.
It comes after Scotrail closed three lines for the full day on Sunday "due to the imminent risk of the Spey River bursting its banks and flooding the railway".
The three lines are Edinburgh/Glasgow Queen Street - Inverness, Aberdeen - Inverurie, Inverness - Elgin.
Anyone in the affected area is urged to stay away from flood water, avoid unnecessary risks and comply with any evacuation orders.
The Met Office said Tyndrum, west Perthshire experienced the most rainfall, with 112.6mm falling on the small village.
Although the rain is expected to continue throughout the morning, it should clear away in the afternoon.
It is a different story for the south of the UK, with sunshine and highs of around 25C forecast by the Met Office for Sunday.
Tom Morgan, a Met Office meteorologist, said the contrasting weather was caused by warm weather travelling up from France meeting cold weather coming from the north with the temperature contrast leading to the heavy rain in Scotland.
The warm weather in southern parts was expected to last until Tuesday.
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Chris Almond said: “Warmth to the south is likely to continue at least at the start of next week, before a likely gradual return to a more typically autumnal weather regime.”
