Scotland will be battered by heavy rain as forecasters predict as much as 60mm to fall over a 15-hour period later this week.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for large parts of the country from 6am on Friday.
Forecasters say that the rain will become ‘persistent and heavy’ in the morning and will continue throughout the day.
Scots in the southern Highlands have been urged to prepare for flooding as a result of the heavy showers and continuing snowmelt.
Perth and Kinross, Aberdeenshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Ayrshire and Renfrewshire are also among the areas expected to see the worst of the rainfall on Friday.
Around 20-40mm is likely to fall across most of these parts, with 50-60mm possible in some areas of higher ground.
Scots have been urged to take extra time on their essential journeys as the conditions are expected to cause chaos on the roads and on public transport.
A forecast from the Met Office reads: “Rain will become persistent and heavy at time from early on Friday morning, continuing through the day before easing in the evening.
“20-40mm is likely quite widely, with 50-60mm possible over some hilly areas. Further snowmelt is likely across the Southern Highlands, contributing to the flood risk.”
This weather warning is the latest in a string of alerts issued during the opening weeks of 2021.
Several inches of snow landed across Scotland last week as temperatures plummeted to lows of -22C.
Temperatures are expected to remain above average over the coming days, with the thermostat reaching a high of 10C in north western parts of the country later this week.
