Warning: Yellow

To expect: Rain

Affected areas: SW Scotland, Lothian Borders, Strathclyde

Start time estimate: Sunday 2am

End time estimate: Sunday 11pm

The Met Office has issued a Yellow rain warning for SW Scotland, Lothian Borders and Strathclyde for Sunday. All local areas affected are listed below.

Intense showers are expected to hit the regions, arriving across the areas on Sunday at around 2am and lasting until 11pm.

The Yellow alert for rain was issued at 10:52am on Saturday, January 10.

A Met Office forecast said: “Bands of heavy rain will affect southwest Scotland during Sunday. Some of this will fall as snow initially over higher ground before turning back to rain at all altitudes as milder air works in through the day. 30-50 mm of rain could fall quite widely across the warning area, but there is potential for 70-90 mm to build up over the higher ground of Dumfries and Galloway. Melting of lying snow may contribute to flooding in some places too.”

What to expect

Where flooding occurs, there is a chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services; Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures; There is a small chance that some communities will become cut off by flooded roads; There is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses; There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings.

What should you do during heavy rain?

Check if your property could be at risk of flooding. If so, consider preparing a flood plan and an emergency flood kit.

Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary.

People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance. It’s easy to do: consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items.

Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area.

For further details see Met Office Warnings & Advice.

Full list of local areas affected

SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
Dumfries and Galloway

Strathclyde
East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire

What is a yellow weather warning?

The Met Office has three categories of weather warning, depending on the likely impact of severe weather and also how likely it is to strike in a particular area.

A yellow warning is issued when weather conditions are expected to disrupt travel and traffic and may impact on daily routines but are not likely to pose a risk to life or property.

An amber warning is more severe and advises people to think about changing their plans to minimise the risk.

A red warning means weather conditions are expected to be dangerous with widespread damage to property and a risk to life, with the public usually advised to avoid travelling.

The Yellow weather alert for rain will remain in effect until 11pm on Sunday.