Forecasters warn of floods as amber rain alert issued

Forecasters warn of floods as amber rain alert issued

Sun, December 14, 2025 at 10:24 AM UTC

4 min read

Forecasters are warning of likely flooding and dangers from fast flowing water as a prolonged period of heavy rain sweeps across Scotland.

An amber alert came into force at midnignt for the south west of the country, while a lesser yellow warning covers much of the western mainland.

The Met Office said 50-70mm of rain could fall widely in the amber area, rising to 110-130mm in the Galloway Hills and other parts of the Southern Uplands during Sunday.

Homes and businesses were likely to be flooded and fast flowing rivers or floodwater could pose a "danger to life" while bus and rail travellers face possible cancellations or delays, it warned.

Overnight the A78 in Greenock had to be closed due to flooding. Traffic Scotland said the road between the town and Inverkip remained shut in both directions because of water on the carriageway.

A diversion is in place, taking traffic along the coast road via Gourock.

The Met Office amber warning covers much of southwest Scotland, including Dumfries & Galloway, Scottish Borders, parts of South Lanarkshire and parts of Ayrshire, lasting for the whole day.

Strong and gusty south westerly winds are also expected throughout Sunday, worsening conditions.

Separate yellow weather warnings are already in place across much of the country, including Glasgow, Fife and Stirling. These warnings will run to either the end of Sunday or 09:00 on Monday, depending on the area.

A generic image of a road closed sign on a flooded street — Forecasters believe the volume of rain is likely to lead to some flooding [Getty Images]

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has issued 10 flood regional alerts ahead of the worst of the rain, with latest flood warning updates posted online.

ScotRail has already cancelled Sunday services between Kilmarnock and Dumfries as a precaution.

Police Scotland said people should avoid travelling unless it was necessary while Transport Scotland warned travel was likely to be affected by the poor conditions.

Scottish Borders Council said a multi-agency incident response group will operate from the council's emergency control centre from 07:00 on Sunday, to co-ordinate the response and any recovery efforts.

Regular updates for the public will be provided via SB Alert and a dedicated severe weather page on the council's website.

The local authority said it would monitor river levels with Sepa, while surface water flooding could also become an issue.

The Scottish government's transport secretary, Fiona Hyslop, advised people to plan ahead and leave plenty of time for journeys.

She said the heavy rain was "likely to impact the transport network".

Hyslop added: "It's important people plan their journeys before they set off. Motorists should make sure their routes are available, follow the travel advice from Police Scotland and drive in accordance with the conditions.

"If you are planning to travel by train, ferry or plane, please check with your operators to see if the conditions are having any impact on your services."

Police Scotland Supt Andrew Barclay, of the force's Road Policing Unit said motorists should "drive to the conditions and be aware of increased stopping distances", as well as having alterative routes planned.

He added that people should make sure to have sufficient fuel, warm clothing, food and water, as well as a charged mobile phone, in case affected by the disruption.

Trains and ferries

Traffic on the A83 Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll has been diverted along the alternative Old Military Road route as a safety precaution in case of landslides.

A decision on returning traffic to the A83 trunk road will be made on Monday, following safety inspections of the road and the hillside.

As well as cancelling Kilmarnock to Dumfries services, ScotRail said there would be speed restrictions on some routes.

In a social media post the rail operator stated: "As a safety precaution, speed restrictions will come into force along sections of our Oban, Fort William, Mallaig and Kyle of Lochalsh routes.

"These will be introduced from 18:00 this evening and remain in place until 09:00 on Monday. Please be aware that journey times will take longer as a result."

A number of CalMac ferry services have also been cancelled due to strong winds

The warning comes just days after Storm Bram swept the country.

It saw amber wind warnings in place in north-west Scotland, and the M74 shut between junctions 12 and 13 near Abington in South Lanarkshire after high winds toppled numerous HGVs on Tuesday evening.

The second named storm of the season also caused problems for rail travellers with fallen trees and damaged overhead cables, and more than 1,000 properties lost power.

At the height of the storm, gusts of 76mph were recorded on South Uist in the Western Isles with similar speeds also felt in Lanarkshire and Dumfries and Galloway.

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