Flooding and travel disruption alert as Storm Ciarán to batter Scotland

Storm Ciarán will batter Scotland with heavy rain bringing flooding and travel disruption across the country.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning that comes into force for 12 hours at 3am on Wednesday.

It comes as clean-up operations in the wake of Storm Babet continue with hundreds still unable to return to their homes.

Storm Ciarán, the third named storm of the season, has already hit areas in the south west of England.

Parts of southwest, central and eastern Scotland will see homes and businesses flooded, bus and train services disrupted with driving conditions made difficult.

Another yellow weather warning has been extended into Scotland covering south west Scotland, including Lothian and the Borders on Thursday. It is in force from 6am and lasts until 6am on Friday.

Following recent very wet weather, further heavy rain is expected to affect Central, Tayside, Fife, Gramoian, and Strathclyde spreading from south to north through the course of Wednesday. Met Office

Further heavy rain is expected to affect south east Scotland on Thursday Met Office

Following recent very wet weather, further heavy rain is expected to affect Central, Tayside, Fife, Grampian, and Strathclyde spreading from south to north through the course of Wednesday.

Rainfall amounts are likely to reach 20-30 mm widely, with a risk of 40-50 mm in some locations, mainly over higher ground, the Met Office said.

“While Storm Ciaran will largely affect England and Wales with the worst of the wind and rain, Scotland will once again experience another spell of very wet weather in the coming days,” said STV meteorologist Sean Batty.

“Again the worst of the rainfall will fall in the east of the country, especially over higher ground.

A car is seen in on bridge washed away following torrential rain on October 21, 2023 in Dundee.

“In the easterly air flow between Wednesday and Friday 40-60mm of rain could fall fairly widely over Easter Ross, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Perthshire, East Lothian and the Borders.

“This is less rainfall than we got from Storm Babet, however, water tables are still higher than normal and this extra rainfall could again lead to some flooding issues.

“The highest risk of flooding on this occasion looks like it’ll be across East Lothian and the Borders Thursday into Friday with a lesser risk in the wider eastern area stretching from Aberdeenshire to Fife and Midlothian.

“Stronger southerly then easterly winds will also bring some large waves and a risk of coastal issues from overtopping of sea walls around Ayrshire on Wednesday and then Orkney and the east coast on Thursday and Friday.”

Seven people died due to the severe weather during Storm Babet, including three in Scotland; Wendy Taylor, 57, of Perthshire; John Gillan, 56, of Arbroath; and Peter Pelling, 61, also of Arbroath.

Storm Babet deaths: Wendy Taylor, 57, of Perthshire; Peter Pelling, 61, of Arbroath; and John Gillan, 56, also of Arbroath. Police Scotland

Seven dead and hundreds lose homes in Storm Babet

It comes as work continues in the recovery of Storm Babet.

The A90, between Forfar and Brechin, Angus, was reopened in both directions from Dundee to Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, under a contraflow, after engineers were able to examine two “high-risk” structures hit by the storm.

Wild weather caused considerable erosion of the bridge at Finavon, carrying the A90 over the River South Esk, and a contraflow traffic management system was introduced to enable safe crossing until repairs are completed.