Scotland hit with 33-hour Met Office weather warning for heavy rain

By Fionnuala Boyle

Scotland hit with 33-hour Met Office weather warning for heavy rain

Scotland is still reeling from the thunderstorm and flood warnings which saw heavy downpours and gusts of 40mph batter parts of the country yesterday, Wednesday, July 2. But there is no time to recover, as another alert has been issued. The Met Office has rolled out a 33-hour yellow weather warning for heavy rain for Scotland , with more than 100mm of rainfall and 50mph winds expected for some areas. The warning comes into effect at 6am on Friday, July 4 and ends at 3pm on Saturday, July 5, spelling a bumpy start to the weekend as persistent, heavy rain moves in, bringing tough travel conditions and possible flooding. The warning zone covers huge swathes of Scotland’s west coast, stretching from Largs in North Ayrshire up through Inverclyde and Argyll and stopping just short of Ullapool in the Highlands. Many of our western islands are included in the alert area, including Bute, Jura, Mull, and Skye , while the northern section of the Mull of Kintyre is also covered. “Rain is expected to be persistent, and heavy at times, during much of Friday and overnight, before slowly easing later on Saturday,” the Met Office warning read. “40 to 60 mm rain is expected to build up quite widely with in excess of 100 mm over a few mountains. Rain will be accompanied by windy conditions, especially Friday daytime when gusts will reach 40 to 50 mph around coasts and hills.” Scots should get ready for spray and flooding on roads, which will probably make journey times longer. If you’re venturing out and relying on public transport , bus and train services will probably be disrupted. Power supplies might also be compromised as stormy weather continues to thrash Scotland despite our neighbours south of the border basking in a near-week long heatwave, with highs of around 35C having been felt as of late. Wondering what you can do while hunkering down? Or how to protect yourself if you need to head out? Well, the Met Office urges people to avoid travelling by road during potentially dangerous road conditions. If you must travel, ensure you watch for possible danger and drive cautiously . It is not safe to drive, walk or swim through floodwater, avoid it where possible and if you are affected by fast flowing or deep-water call 999, and wait for help. Preparing a flood kit could save you from loss or damage due to flooding to your home or business. In your flood kit, have insurance and any other important documents; a torch and spare batteries; a first aid kit, prescription medicines and supplies for looking after your family members or pets; and warm, waterproof clothes, blankets, food and water. Consider checking on vulnerable people that you know including older people, those with underlying conditions and those who live alone; they may need support with food and medical supplies. If you are worried about your health or that of somebody you know, ring NHS 111. It comes after Scotland was slapped with a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms yesterday, Wednesday, July 2. From 11am until 6pm, south east Scotland, as well as Edinburgh, were at risk of flooding and travel chaos . Rain amounting to 20mm was expected in some places in less than an hour. Flood alerts were also issued by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA). These have expired, and nothing new has been released.

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