Amber warning as heavy rain set to hit Highlands

Heavy rain is expected to sweep across the north west of Scotland during an amber weather warning.

The Met Office alert affects parts of the Highlands and northern Argyll for the whole of Sunday.

Up to 200mm of rain is expected to fall on west-facing hills in the region, bringing a warning of potential landslides and debris flows.

This volume is around the average total rainfall for the month of December in the area.

Police Scotland has warned of a high risk of disruption.

A yellow warning for rain covering a wider area of western Scotland will be in place from Saturday evening until Monday morning.

An amber warning is the second most serious alert made by the Met Office. It means there is a likelihood of bad weather affecting people. This could include travel delays, road and rail closures and power cuts.

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The latest alert comes after an autumn in which storms and flooding caused extensive damage to parts of the country including Angus and Aberdeenshire.

David Scott of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said Sunday's rain is likely to cause "significant surface flooding" and urged people to be aware of the dangers that brings.

"Please don't walk or drive into flood water. Remember that not only is flood water likely to be dirty, 30cm of fast flowing water can move an average family sized car, and just 15cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet," he said.

River Street in Brechin was deluged during Storm Babet in October

Transport Scotland has warned of disruption across the whole area. The rain will bring difficult driving conditions such as reduced visibility and surface water.

Its multi-agency response team will be operational throughout the amber warning period and teams will be carrying inspections of culverts and flooding hotspots, as well as preparing equipment ahead of the warnings coming into effect.

Minister for Transport Fiona Hyslop said it was important that motorists "play their part" in minimising disruption.

"Make sure your route is available, follow the travel advice from Police Scotland and drive in accordance with the conditions," she said.

"The Traffic Scotland Twitter/X page is regularly updated with the latest information on the trunk road network and the mobile website - my.trafficscotland.org - gives you access to the latest information on the move.

"If you are planning to travel by train, ferry or plane, please check with your operators as the forecast conditions also have potential to impact your services."

Police Scotland has urged people to consider whether journeys are necessary

Ch Supt Hilary Sloan, head of road policing at Police Scotland, said the advice is for the public to consider whether journeys are necessary during the amber warning period.

"Stopping distances can be at least double on wet roads compared to dry conditions, and spray can reduce driver visibility," she said.

"If you need to travel, please drive to the conditions, be prepared for delays and allow extra time for your journey. Please don't drive through road closures. The decision to close roads is not taken lightly and is done for public safety."