Transport Scotland Weather Statement

Drivers are being warned to take extra care with torrential downpours forecast this afternoon and into the evening rush hour especially in central and Eastern Scotland.

The Met Office has upgraded its existing 'yellow' (Be Aware) alert to 'amber' (Be Prepared) in parts of Angus, Perth & Kinross, Fife, Central region, Strathclyde, North and South Lanarkshire as well as the Lothians and the Borders, including Dundee, Perth and Edinburgh. The area is likely to see some heavy downpours with the possibility of large hailstones and significant disruption from surface water flooding, especially in urban areas. There could be as much as 20mm to 30mm of rain falling in two hours with 50mm to 60mm over the course of the afternoon.

Surrounding the core amber area there will be a yellow warning covering most of the eastern side of Scotland from South Aberdeenshire down to the Border and going as far west as west Glasgow, east Ayrshire and the east of Dumfries and Galloway.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said:

“The Met Office is warning us that there could be some significant disruption in parts of Angus, Perth & Kinross, Fife, Central region, Strathclyde, North and South Lanarkshire as well as the Lothians and the Borders from extremely heavy showers later today. The rain will have an impact on some areas, including Dundee, Perth and Edinburgh during the evening rush hour and motorists should drive according to the conditions by allowing extra time for braking and be aware of surface water.

“Transport Scotland officials are in regular contact with the Met Office and other key responders to ensure that suitable preparations are in place and that Ministers are receiving regular updates.

"Our Multi Agency Response Team (MART) remains on standby and our operating companies are closely monitoring the situation and are ready to deal with any weather-related issues that arise.

"The travelling public also have a key role to play. The Traffic Scotland website, Variable Message Signs and Traffic internet radio are being used to provide up to date information, allowing them to plan and amend their journeys accordingly."