Parts of Scotland could be hit by severe rain as a series of weather warnings were issued by the Met Office.
A yellow weather warning was posted on the forecaster’s website on Friday night, warning of heavy rainfall.
The affected area begins just north of Helensburgh and spans the entirety of the west of Scotland north of the town, with the exception of the Outer Hebrides and a handful of other islands on the western coast.
The warnings come into place at 6pm on Saturday.
The rain is expected to worsen throughout the Saturday night, with the Met Office upping the warning to amber on Sunday.
Scots travelling in the affected area have been asked to plan ahead before heading off.
The agency predicts 100-150mm of rainfall in the area this weekend, potentially rising to 200mm in some west-facing upslopes.
The alert warns of the potential for power cuts and difficult driving conditions, and say “fast flowing or deep floodwater is likely, causing danger to life”.
She said: “The Met Office is warning us to expect another period of heavy rain this weekend, which will likely bring disruption to the transport network in parts of north-west Scotland.
“Our trunk road teams will be out on the network to tackle any issues, but it’s important motorists also play their part and plan their journeys before setting off.
“Make sure your route is available, follow the travel advice from Police Scotland, and drive in accordance with the conditions.
“The Traffic Scotland Twitter/X page is regularly updated with the latest information on the trunk road network and the mobile website my.trafficscotland.org gives you access to the latest information on the move.
“If you are planning to travel by train, ferry or plane, please check with your operators as the forecast conditions also have potential to impact your services.”
The @metoffice have issued an amber & yellow weather warning.
?️ RAIN
Amber 00:00 (17/12) – 23:59 (17/12) Yellow 18:00 (16/12) – 06:00 (18/12)
Ensure you reach your destination safely by reading our advice: https://t.co/hLaG1ccIt3#PlanAhead pic.twitter.com/0w3efRXKfG
— Traffic Scotland (@trafficscotland) December 15, 2023
Ferry operator CalMac announced on Twitter/X there are cancellations over the weekend, with potential disruption to other services.
One cancelled service is its Tarbert – Lochmaddy ferry.
❌RED #Tarbert #Lochmaddy 16Dec Due to a forecast of strong winds and sea swell conditions, service has been cancelled.
— CalMac Service Info (@CalMac_Updates) December 15, 2023
Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, the head of road policing in Scotland, warned drivers of the impact heavy rain can have on stopping distances, urging people to “consider if your journey is really necessary during the bad weather or if it can be delayed until conditions improve”.
David Scott, the flood duty manager at the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa), said the rainfall “is likely to bring significant surface water flooding impacts”, and he urged people not to drive into flood water.
“Remember that not only is flood water likely to be dirty, 30cm of fast flowing water can move an average family sized car, and just 15cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet,” he said.
Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: “Strong southwesterly winds will feed in a prolonged and heavy spell of rain.
“In some areas up to 200mm of rainfall could be recorded, but 100-150mm is more likely across the wider warning area.
“In addition to the usual risks associated with high rainfall, there is the potential for landslides across the south of the Highland region and Argyll.”
