Scotland weather: full list of areas affected by Met Office amber warning for thunderstorms - and what it means

Heavy rain is forecast to cause flooding across the country, including in Edinburgh, Perth, Inverness and Aberdeenshire

Heavy rain is set to cause flooding across Scotland this week as the Met Office issued an amber warning for thunderstorms.

The forecaster urged members of the public to “stay aware” over the next few days as stormy weather is expected to hit multiple areas.

The amber warning takes effect from 12:00 to 22:00 on Tuesday (27 July).

It comes after a period of consistent sun and hot temperatures.

The Met Office has also put a further yellow warning for thunderstorms in place for 12:00 to 23:59 on Tuesday.

This warning covers much of the country, with heavy showers expected to develop across Scotland during the afternoon and lasting until the evening in some places.

Around 60mm of rain could fall in three to six hours in some areas.

Heavy rainfall is expected to cause flooding across Scotland, with the Met Office issuing an amber warning for thunderstorms (Getty Images/Met Office)

What areas have been issued a Met Office amber warning?

Areas impacted by the amber storm warning include Grampian, central Scotland, Tayside, Fife, the Highlands & Eilean Siar, south west Scotland, Lothian, Scottish Borders and Strathclyde.

The Met Office said up to 40mm of rain could fall in an hour in some places, while up to 80mm could descend within a few hours.

Heavy thundery showers are set to bring some travel disruption and localised flooding.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has also issued 15 amber flood alerts.

Full list of local authority areas affected

Central, Tayside & Fife	Clackmannanshire
	Falkirk
	Fife
	Perth and Kinross
	Stirling
Grampian	Aberdeenshire
	Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar	Highland
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders	East Lothian
	Edinburgh
	Midlothian
	Scottish Borders
	West Lothian
Strathclyde	Argyll and Bute
	East Dunbartonshire
	North Lanarkshire
	South Lanarkshire

The forecaster states: “Showers will break out widely across much of Scotland from late morning, turning heavy in the afternoon.

“While many places will miss the heaviest showers, where they do occur 20-40 mm could fall in an hour with locally 60-80 mm in a few hours.

“Showers will start to merge to longer spells of rain in the evening, but easing in intensity.”

There is also a further amber warning in place for both Grampian and certain parts of the Highlands, taking effect at 6am on Wednesday and lasting until 6am on Thursday (29 July).

Just at the beginning of this month, severe rainfall caused flash floods in Edinburgh as rivers burst their banks.

Over 40mm of rainfall was recorded in a single hour in the Capital on 4 July, bringing travel across the central belt to standstill.

What does an amber warning mean?

Amber weather warnings are more severe than yellow warnings.

This type of warning issued by the Met Office means there is “an increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather”, including the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures and power cuts.

There is also the potential risk to life.

The forecaster warned that this week’s amber warning could result in the rapid flooding of homes and businesses.

There could be damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.

Delays and cancellations to train and bus travel are likely in places where flooding happens.

Car drivers will also need to be careful, as sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.

There could also be cuts to power and other services to homes and businesses.

The Met Office advice for amber warnings states: “You should think about changing your plans and taking action to protect yourself and your property.

“You may want to consider the impact of the weather on your family and your community and whether there is anything you need to do ahead of the severe weather to minimise the impact.”

Meanwhile, the yellow warning means thundery showers could lead to rapid flooding and transport disruption, with power cuts possible.

The Met Office has also issued advice on what to do when travelling in storms, rain and strong wind and how to stay safe in thunder and lightning.