Eight inches of rain to fall in huge downpour this weekend, as Met Office issues amber warning amid 'danger to life'

16 December 2023, 10:33 | Updated: 16 December 2023, 11:30

Brits are set to be drenched in major downpours this weekend, with the Met Office issuing a rare amber warning indicating a "danger to life".

The forecasters' warning is for Scotland on Sunday, when heavy rain could flood homes and businesses, cause damage to buildings, and spark travel chaos.

Swathes of the UK are on alert for flooding, with 22 flood warnings and 90 alerts, which are for less dangerous situations that are still serious.

But 30 flood warnings have been taken down across the last 24 hours.

The Met Office's amber warning covers the north-west Highlands and Argyll on Sunday. Yellow warnings, which are for less dangerous conditions, are in place across a wider area of Scotland from Saturday evening until Monday morning.

Some 200mm of rain could fall in parts of the country, with drivers in the affected area asked to plan ahead before setting off.

Scottish transport minister Fiona Hyslop 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."

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."

England will be largely dry over the weekend, while Wales is expected to get some rain, according to the Met Office's weather map.