Storm Bella: Wind and heavy rain warnings issued for Scotland

Storm Bella will bring high winds and heavy rain to Scotland, forecasters have warned.

Yellow weather warnings in place as Storm Bella expected to hit UK picture: JPI Media

High winds will mainly be affecting the southern part of Scotland and parts of the UK from about 3pm on Boxing day.

Heavy rain is also expected to batter parts of the country including areas that have already been left sodden by previous spells of bad weather.

Scotland’s west coast will be hit most by the wet weather with persistent heavy rain falling throughout the best part of today causing localised flooding and travel disruption in the affected areas.

A statement on the Met Office website warned homes and businesses may be affected and some interruption to power supplies and other services is likely.

For Scotland, the weather warnings are only in place for today and the weather should clear by tomorrow.

The rest of the UK will see the bout of extreme weather, which has been called Storm Bella, continue into the next day.

As of 5am, England has 78 flood warnings and 99 flood alerts, two flood warnings and five flood alerts are in force in Wales, and seven warnings and 13 alerts have been issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Bedfordshire Police on Friday “strongly urged” residents living near the River Great Ouse in north Bedfordshire to seek alternative accommodation due to fears of flooding.

On Christmas Day, Superintendent Steve Ashdown, who is leading the response, said officers had visited just over 1,300 homes in the area the previous evening and officers reiterated the advice on Friday.

Parts of the country are already sodden after recent wet weather and flooding, with residents in more than 1,300 properties along the River Great Ouse in Bedfordshire advised to leave their homes as water levels rose on Christmas Day.

Further rain is expected on Sunday and Monday and the area is one of three under a severe flood warning, meaning a danger to life.

Bella, which follows relatively calm and cold conditions across the UK on Friday and early morning snowfall recorded in some areas, has led to the Met Office issuing an amber wind warning, which warns travel could be disrupted, for parts of south Wales and across southern England on Saturday.

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