Monsoon June! Get set for month’s worth of rain in hours

SCOTLAND is bracing itself for flood chaos with a 33-hour downpour on its way – and more than a month’s rain falling in some parts of the country.

Forecasters have warned from today and 3pm tomorrow many places can expect up to two inches of rain, with as much as five inches on higher ground.

Last night, Greg Dewhurst of the Met Office said: ‘To put those rainfall totals into perspective, the average rainfall for Scotland in the entire month of June is 88mm (three-and-a-half inches.)

‘So we’re forecasting more than a month’s worth of rain in less than a day and a half. This will inevitably lead to disruption on the roads and possibly the railways. Flooding of a few homes and businesses is likely.’ A yellow Met Office ‘be aware’ warning for heavy rain has been issued. Strong winds are also expected, particularly in the South-West, where gusts of 50mph can be expected.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency had 19 flood alerts in place last night, from the Borders to Shetland.

The rain is expected to clear on Tuesday, with warm and sunny spells.