Flood risk as snowy showers sweep across Scotland

Four flood warnings have been issued for Scotland as wintry showers continue to batter parts of the country this weekend.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has warned high tides and strong winds of up to 50mph could cause flooding in lower-lying regions.

Flood warnings are in place for northern and south-western Scotland including Ayr to Troon, Loch Ryan in Dumfries and Galloway and Churchill Barriers and Sanday in Orkney.

Six flood alerts have also been issued for Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Orkney, Western Isles, Shetland and West Central Scotland.

A statement from Sepa said: “Over the next few days, a combination of high tides, surges and strong winds means that flooding to coastal areas could occur.

“Sepa will continue to monitor the situation, and further updates will appear here if there situation changes.

“Remain vigilant and remember, it is your responsibility to take actions which help protect yourself and your property.”

Transport services in Scotland have already been impacted by the wintry showers.

ScotRail said there are delays of up to 20 minutes and some cancellations on its services between Glasgow Central and Paisley Canal due to localised flooding.

The flood alerts come in addition to a yellow weather warning for snow across the majority of Scotland, which is in place from 5pm on Saturday until 3pm the next day.

The regions mostly affected will be central, Tayside, Fife, the South West and Lothian and Borders, Strathclyde, the Highlands and Grampian, according to the Met Office.

About 2-5cm of snow is possible in places, with potentially 10-15cm (4-6in) accumulating on routes above 300 metres (984ft).

Temperatures will drop to about 1C over the weekend, but in some areas it will be even colder at minus 6C, according to the Met Office.

Icy patches will be an additional hazard, especially across western coastal areas.