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Torrential rain to bring flooding and disruption
SCOTLAND is braced for two days of flooding and travel disruption with torrential rain and 70mph winds.
A 24-hour amber warning for heavy rain comes into force at midday today for parts of Perthshire and Stirlingshire.
Five inches of rain could fall on higher ground over a 36-hour period, with a similar warning in place for the South-West and parts of Strathclyde.
The entire country lies under a separate yellow warning for heavy rain from 6am today until 6pm tomorrow.
A warning of winds up to 70mph, especially in the Western Isles, is also in place until 6pm today. Transport Scotland has pledged to keep culverts clear in flooding hot spots.
The Old Military Road, a diversionary route for the A83 in Argyll, was closed to traffic at midnight last night as a precaution against the extreme weather, leaving drivers with a 60-mile detour.
Met Office forecaster Alex Deakin said: ‘Around the western coasts we will see gusts of 50 and 60mph, maybe even 70mph in some very exposed locations. And then we have the rain, which will continue to fall across parts of the South and – from midday – we have the amber warnings in place, where we could see between 80 and 120mm (3in-5in) falling by Wednesday on higher ground.’
Amber warnings suggest a ‘danger to life’ and say it is ‘likely’ some homes and businesses could be flooded or damaged. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has ten flood warnings in place.
Police Scotland Superintendent Simon Bradshaw said: ‘Please consider whether your journey is essential.’
However, high pressure could deliver spring-like conditions by the weekend. By tomorrow afternoon, the Moray coast could see the warmest day of the year so far, at 14C (57F), double the 7C (44F) average for February in Scotland.
Andy Page of the Met Office said: ‘Mild temperatures are forecast for much of the UK, with highs of 14-16C (57-61F) in the South and East.’