Met Office issues yellow weather warning for thunderstorms as downpours continue for third day

Scotland is set to be battered by heavy rain for a third day as a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms is in force on Monday.

It follows two weather warnings issued by the Met Office over the weekend for rain and thunderstorms, which affected much of the mainland.

A third weather warning for thunderstorms came into effect at 11am on Monday and is in force until to 9pm.

Some areas could see downpours of up to 80mm – around two weeks’ worth of rain in a matter of hours.

Met Office yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms and rain across Scotland on Monday, July 21. Met Office

Lightning strikes are also likely as well as hail and gusty winds.

The yellow alert will affect much of the mainland, with some parts of the Highlands, Western Isles and the north east spared.

A second yellow warning for heavy rain comes into force at 3pm on Monday. It covers the north west mainland and the Inner Hebrides.

Drivers have been warned of difficult driving conditions while public transport may be affected by flooding.

“It looks like around 30mm is possible in a few hours from some intense thundery downpours across central southern and eastern Scotland today – although many areas should escape the day largely dry,” said STV meteorologist Sean Batty.

“However, where these do occur it could amount to the equivalent to over a week’s worth of rain in just a few hours.

“A separate area of rain in the north of the country could bring more, but over a longer period of time.

“This will be a more persistent band of rain which could bring as much as 60-80mm throughout today.

“The focus looks to be somewhere around the Aird, Lochalsh and Lochaber area where I expect the rain will pivot this afternoon, and therefore last longer.

“If 80mm of rain were to fall in these areas today, that would work out to at about two weeks’ worth of rain.”