Scotland weather: Heavy rain and flood warnings in place

Scotland is set to be hit with heavy rainfall this week, with a wet weather warning issued for large parts of the country.

The wild weather comes after Storm Atiyah hit the UK at the weekend, seeing some parts of Scotland drenched by more rainfall in 24 hours than during the whole month of November.

Yellow severe weather warnings for rain have been issued across most of western Scotland tomorrow, with up to 60mm of rain expected.

Widespread flooding is likely, with several alerts and warnings in force.

Heavy rain and flooding is forecast this week

Winds reaching up to 70mph are also anticipated.

Forecasters are currently assessing the likely severity of the weather system, which if severe enough could be named as Storm Brendan.

“Another soaking is due to come though on Tuesday,” said Luke Miall, of the Met Office. “The winds will turn northerly as Monday goes on.

“Storm Atiyah itself is pushing away from the UK, so Scotland is going to see a drier day, still with some showers around but some decent spells of sunshine through the afternoon. It’ll be cold, with highs of up to 7C – a little bit below average for the time of year.

Up to 60mm is expected to fall over parts of western Scotland.

“We’re going to see an overnight frost, with temperatures dropping down to -2C on Monday night.

“Then Tuesday is wet and windy – it has not currently been named as a storm, but we’re keeping a close watch on it and continuing to monitor systems.”

Storm Atiyah hit the UK yesterday, with south-west England and Wales hardest hit.

But Scotland also endured a battering, which saw several ferry journeys cancelled due to high winds.

Services running to Skye, Arran, Barra, Coll and Tiree were among those suspended on safety grounds.

Mr Miall added: “We’re expecting winds of 50mph to 60mph in western areas of Scotland, possibly reaching 70mph in the most exposed areas – such as the Outer Hebrides.

“We’ve got a weather warning in force for rain as well, suggesting we could see 20mm-40mm, and potentially up to 60mm in some places.”

The rest of the week will remain unsettled, with further strong winds and rain, particularly on Wednesday and Thursday.

It will also turn colder, with a risk of snow in higher places and possible patches of ice on roads.

Voters are being advised to wrap up before heading out to polling stations on Thursday.