Scotland battered by wild weather as rail lines closed and dozens of flood warnings issued
Scotland's wild weather is set to make it a tough end to the year for many of us. Many parts of the country are being battered by strong winds and heavy rain with numerous warnings in place ahead of the bells tonight.
There are currently four Met Office alerts in place throughout Scotland, with dozens of flood warnings from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as the severe weather continues.
Scots have been at the mercy of the elements since the weekend, with the Met Office issuing yellow and amber weather warnings for large swathes of the country in the very last day of 2024.
READ MORE: Kids crying and fights break out as shoppers trapped for five hours in car park
READ MORE: Four accused face trial for alleged murder of Dundee man in own home
The amber weather alert for rain has seen the area around Inverness deluged with New Year's Eve downpours. Many of SEPA's flood warnings are in the nearby Moray area, with rivers and burns threatening to burst their banks.
Highland communities were initially bracing for a "severe" risk of flooding, with evacuations a real possibility. SEPA initially issued an alert for “severe” flooding just after 6am, telling residents in the Aviemore and Dalfaber areas to “act now”. Highlands Council also advised guests staying at Aviemore Holiday Park to seek alternative accommodation due to the “imminent” risk of flooding.
Now, the risk has been downgraded after less rain fell overnight than expected. The flooding risk was downgraded by 7.45am and no "severe" flood warnings are currently in place. However, it doesn't mean these areas are out of the woods just yet. Despite the downgrade, there are still 10 regions that have flood alerts from SEPA, with 37 more localised flood warnings within those areas.
The flood alerts are in place for Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City, Argyll and Bute, Caithness and Sutherland, Central, Easter Ross and Great Glen, Findhorn, Nairn, Moray and Speyside, Skye and Lochaber, Tayside, Wester Ross, and Western Isles.
Train operator ScotRail said its services are being disrupted by speed restrictions on many routes because of “very heavy rainfall”.
The routes affected are between: Inverness and Perth; Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh; Inverness and Wick; Perth and Stirling; Edinburgh and Inverness; Glasgow Queen Street, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth; and Glasgow Queen Street, Oban and Mallaig.
Network Rail said it has closed the Highland Main Line at Kingussie because of “more extreme rainfall overnight”. It also closed the line north of Inverness, between Muir of Ord and Dingwall.
What's more, there are four weather warnings currently in place in various areas of Scotland. The first is for Orkney & Shetland. A yellow warning for snow is in place from 5am until just before the clock strikes midnight on Hogmanay.
Snow will push north across the Orkney Islands during the early hours of New Year's Eve and continue north to reach the Shetland Islands by around mid-morning. The snow will temporarily turn to rain across the Orkney islands from late morning, before turning back to sleet and snow in the evening as the band of sleet and snow returns south. Sleet and snow showers will follow overnight.
The second yellow weather warning is for wind and applies to:
Central, Tayside & Fife
Falkirk
Fife
Stirling
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
Dumfries and Galloway
East Lothian
Edinburgh
Midlothian Council
Scottish Borders
West Lothian
Strathclyde
Argyll and Bute
East Ayrshire
East Dunbartonshire
East Renfrewshire
Glasgow
Inverclyde
North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire
Renfrewshire
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
West Dunbartonshire
Strong and gusty winds will develop across southern Scotland on Tuesday morning, veering to westerly during the evening. Gusts of 50 to 60 mph are expected, perhaps reaching 70 mph in a few exposed areas, and this may lead to some travel disruption. The warning is in place from 7am until 11pm on Hogmanay.
The third yellow weather warning is for rain and snow and applies to:
Central, Tayside & Fife
Angus
Clackmannanshire
Dundee
Falkirk
Fife
Perth and Kinross
Stirling
Grampian
Aberdeen
Aberdeenshire
Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Highland
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
Edinburgh
West Lothian
Strathclyde
Argyll and Bute
East Ayrshire
East Dunbartonshire
East Renfrewshire
Glasgow
Inverclyde
North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire
Renfrewshire
South Lanarkshire
West Dunbartonshire
Heavy rain will become persistent and widespread throughout Tuesday with 50 to 70mm possible, and some places perhaps seeing 100 to 140mm of rain, mostly over western Scotland.
In Perthshire, snow is likely, especially over high ground, with 10-20cm accumulating above 150-200 meters, with several cm accumulating at lower elevations away from windward coasts. Snow will then turn back to rain, meaning any rapid snow melt could result in flooding in places.
Strong winds may spell trouble particularly for areas of Scotland affected by snow. Blizzard conditions are possible, especially over high ground and across much of Sutherland and Caithness, leading to powerline icing. The warning is in place until midnight, when revellers or those enjoying a tipple at home will see in 2025.
The fourth and final warning is amber and that is for rain. This will affect:
Grampian
Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
Highland
The warning technically expires at 5pm on Hogmanay but yellow rain and snow warnings will continue to be in force after that, the Met Office warns.
Heavy rain will persist before turning to showers on Tuesday afternoon, giving another 50-70mm on top of what has already fallen. This is likely to lead to significant travel disruption and may result in some flooding of properties.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our newsletter here .
