Amber weather warning for heavy rain as Scotland faces Hogmanay travel disruption

A heavy rain weather warning for Hogmanay has been upgraded to amber in parts of Scotland.

Met Office alerts for rain and snow have been issued covering all of Scotland into New Year’s Day.

The heavy rain has led to the cancellation of rail services in the Highlands, with the main line at Kingussie closed because of rising river levels.

The amber warning covers an area extending from Fort William to Inverness from midnight until 5pm on Tuesday.

Water levels on the Gynack Burn at Kingussie were too high to run trains on Monday, Network Rail said.

ScotRail warned of disruption between Inverness and Glasgow Queen Street and urged people to check their journeys before travelling.

A yellow alert for snow has been issued for Orkney and Shetland for Hogmanay.

The Met Office warned the weather could lead to difficult driving conditions, disruption to public transport, power outages and homes being cut off.

The Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGORR) has activated its response to the weather warnings. Scottish Government officials will continue to monitor the situation and work with frontline agencies to mitigate the impacts of the severe weather.

First Minister John Swinney will chair a meeting of SGORR this evening to review our preparedness for the challenging weather ahead.

Mr Swinney asked Scots to take advice from the the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) and the Met Office following weather warnings for Monday to Thursday.

On X, he wrote: “There are weather warnings issued for Monday and for Hogmanay. Please follow all of the advice available and stay safe.”

Pascal Lardet, Sepa flood duty manager, said: “Some very high river levels are forecast for Monday and Tuesday, in particular, the Spey and other rivers in the Great Glen and Easter Ross area. Levels on the River Tay and other rivers across the Central Highlands will also be high.

“We’re likely to see river and surface water flooding impacts across these areas, resulting in disruptions to transport and to communities.

Read more: Hogmanay organisers have contingency plans

“Flooding of property, infrastructure, roads and the rail network are all possible. We urge everyone to be prepared and be aware.

“If you live or work in the affected areas, or are planning to visit, think about any steps you need to take now to be prepared for flooding impacts – and consider whether your journey is necessary.”

Douglas Cairns, Traffic Scotland operator manager at Transport Scotland, said: “The severe weather across much of Scotland this week will unfortunately cause some disruption across the transport network.

"Road, rail, air and ferry services are all likely to be affected by the conditions, with localised flooding, longer journey times and cancellations possible, as well as potential restrictions on bridges. The network is also expected to be busy as people travel to celebrate New Year with friends and family.

"We are asking travellers to plan their journeys before setting off to ensure they reach their destination and celebrations in good time.

"If you’re driving, make sure your vehicle is winter ready and follow any Police Scotland travel advice that may be in place. Traffic Scotland provides up-to-date travel information on the trunk road network through its website, X account and internet radio broadcasts.

“The same advice goes for other modes of transport – if you are planning to travel by rail, air or ferry, stay in contact with your operator for the latest service information.”

The warnings come after high winds on Sunday led to the cancellation of Edinburgh's Torchlight Procession, which had been due to kick off the city's Hogmanay events.

Met Office chief forecaster Andy Page said: “Almost the entire UK is covered by at least one weather warning during the coming week.

“With such a varied and complex weather situation, there is potential for the pattern of warnings to shift and possibly escalate in some areas.

“With lots of celebrations and people on the move over the coming days, we are urging everyone to keep checking the forecast so they can update their plans.”

What weather warnings are in place?

A warning has been issued for Hogmanay | Met Office

Monday: A yellow warning for rain and snow covering much of Scotland is in place on Monday through until midnight on Tuesday. The Met Office says spray and flooding will lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, with longer journey times by road, bus and train services

Tuesday: An amber warning for heavy rain covers an area extending from Fort William to Inverness from midnight until 5pm. A yellow warning for wind comes into force at 7am until 11pm covering southern Scotland and the central belt. A warning has also been issued for “persistent snow” likely to cause road disruption in Orkney and Shetland from 5am onwards.

Wednesday: A yellow snow warning is in place from 9am on Wednesday until 3am on Thursday covering southern Scotland, the central Belt and parts of Tayside.