Two days of heavy and persistent rain to batter parts of Scotland as yellow weather alert issued

Parts of Scotland will be battered by heavy downpours this week as the Met Office issued a yellow weather alert for rain.

Many parts of the north and north east will be hit with heavy rain for two days, with the warning coming into effect from noon on Wednesday until noon on Friday.

The warning affects Angus, Dundee, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Stirling, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Highlands.

Forecasters say rain accumulations of 30-60mm are likely fairly widely inland, with as much as 80-120 mm possible over the highest ground exposed to the brisk southeasterly winds.

Following recent rain and snow thaw, flooding may occur in places, while strong onshore winds and large waves could cause disruption.

In addition, rain will fall increasingly as snow over high ground, especially on Thursday and into Friday, adding to the uncertainty as to how quickly rivers may respond downstream.

The Met Office says there is a small chance that some communities will become cut off by flooded roads and a chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses.

Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.