A YELLOW weather warning has been brought forward and extended to cover most of the mainland as Scotland is set to face heavy downpours.
The Met Office originally scheduled the warning for 4pm on Saturday but now expects rain to begin from midday.
Forecasters say as much as 75mm of rain could fall in just a few hours – roughly a full month’s worth.
The affected area includes the majority of the Scottish mainland, with the warning in place until midday on Sunday.
The Met Office warned of heavy rain and isolated thunderstorms, with a small chance of flooding and power cuts in some areas.
Forecaster Sean Batty wrote for STV: “On Saturday, it looks like the worst of the rain will spread across central and eastern parts of the country during the afternoon and evening, with the focus around the Borders, Edinburgh, Lothians, Lanarkshire, Fife, Angus and Aberdeenshire.
“In these areas we can expect 20-30mm of rain to fall quite widely, but a few spots could see some heavier downpours which could take totals towards 75mm, which would be the equivalent of a month’s worth of rain.”
Another band of heavy, thundery rain is expected to move north on Sunday, with a continued focus on eastern areas.
However, it may also extend further west than Saturday’s, potentially affecting Glasgow, Ayrshire, and parts of Argyll, possibly leading to a renewed risk of localised flooding in some areas.
Those attending events across Scotland this weekend – including Aberdeen’s Tall Ships Race, the Kirriemuir Agricultural Show, Crail Fest and the Merchant City Festival – have been urged to keep an eye out for updates as the wet weather takes hold.
