Flood alerts in Scotland as heavy rain follows long dry spell

A number of flood alerts remain in place in Scotland after heavy rain followed the recent dry spell.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has warned that surface water could lead to flooding in parts of the country.

Meanwhile, Met Office yellow warnings of heavy rain have now been cancelled.

The forecast comes after a prolonged dry spell which has seen all parts of Scotland experiencing some kind of water scarcity.

The Loch Maree area in the Highlands is facing "significant" water shortages, and Scottish Water is putting in place emergency measures to maintain supplies to the village of Broadford on Skye.

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Wildfires have also been a problem because of the tinder-dry vegetation.

BBC Scotland weather presenter Derek MacIntosh said the dry ground could heighten the risk of flooding.

"Cracked soils repel water rather than letting it soak in as wet soil would," he explained.

"This means rain pools on the surface and run-off rates increase - leading to a greater risk of flash flooding on some of our roads."

The longer-term forecast is for temperatures to remain above average for the time of year with occasional heavy showers and thunderstorms, but plenty of sunshine in between.