Amber weather warning forecasts heavy rain for north-west Scotland

Scots have been urged to plan ahead if travelling in the north west of the country as an amber weather warning for rain has been issued.

Covering parts of the north-west Highlands and Argyll, the Met Office warning will be in effect for the entirety of Sunday, while less severe yellow warnings have been issued for a wider part of the north west from Saturday evening until Monday morning.

The agency predicts 100-150mm of rainfall in the area this weekend, potentially rising to 200mm in some west-facing upslopes.

The alert warns of the potential for power cuts and difficult driving conditions, and say “fast flowing or deep floodwater is likely, causing danger to life”.

Scottish transport minister Fiona Hyslop has warned of potential disruption on the roads and to public transport caused by the weather.

She said: “The Met Office is warning us to expect another period of heavy rain this weekend, which will likely bring disruption to the transport network in parts of north-west Scotland.

“Our trunk road teams will be out on the network to tackle any issues, but it’s important motorists also play their part and plan their journeys before setting off.

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

“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.”

Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, the head of road policing in Scotland, warned drivers of the impact heavy rain can have on stopping distances, urging people to “consider if your journey is really necessary during the bad weather or if it can be delayed until conditions improve”.

David Scott, the flood duty manager at the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa), said the rainfall “is likely to bring significant surface water flooding impacts”, and he urged people not to 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.

Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: “Strong southwesterly winds will feed in a prolonged and heavy spell of rain.

“In some areas up to 200mm of rainfall could be recorded, but 100-150mm is more likely across the wider warning area.

“In addition to the usual risks associated with high rainfall, there is the potential for landslides across the south of the Highland region and Argyll.”