Rain, wind and snow warning in lead-up to Hogmanay

Heavy rain and snow could cause significant disruption across Scotland in the lead-up to Hogmanay and beyond, according to the Met Office.

The forecaster has issued a series of yellow weather warnings for rain and snow covering most of Scotland for all of Monday and Tuesday and into New Year's Day.

A separate weather warning for wind and snow is in place for southern, central and some eastern parts of Scotland from New Year's Eve until Thursday 2 January.

High winds have already led to the cancellation of Sunday evening's Torchlight Procession which kicks off Edinburgh's pre-Hogmanay celebrations.

Elsewhere, a yellow alert for snow has also been issued for Orkney on Hogmanay.

The Met Office said the weather warnings could lead to difficult driving conditions, disruption to public transport, power outages and homes being cut off.

Network Rail has announced trains on some lines will need to be slowed down due to the difficult weather conditions.

Services on the West Highland Line are being slowed down from Sunday afternoon. Speed restrictions are also being put in place from Monday on trains from Aberdeen and Inverness, between Perth and Stirling, Kyle of Lochalsh and Inverness, as well as on the Far North Line the Highland Main Line.

Network Rail Scotland's operations director, Simon Constable, said: "Ahead of the bad weather, our engineers are carrying out extra checks on our pumps and in areas known to be at risk from the elements, particularly flooding. We'll have more staff than normal on duty to remove fallen trees and debris from the track, as well as to tackle flooding.

"Some journeys will take longer than normal, and we advise passengers to plan ahead. We will, of course, remove any speed restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so and we thank passengers for their patience."

The rain and snow alert stretches across the Strathclyde region, including Glasgow, East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire, and over to Edinburgh and West Lothian in the east. It extends northward across the rest of the country, excluding Orkney and Shetland.

Heavy rain is forecast to be persistent and widespread during Monday and Tuesday and could cause flooding.

There could be up to 140mm of rain in some areas, with western Scotland likely to get the worst of it.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) is warning communities in the north-west and central Highlands to prepare for flooding.

Significant snowfall is expected in areas to the north and east of Perthshire, as well as in the region itself, especially over high ground.

About 10-20cm of snow is forecast to accumulate at higher levels, with several centimetres possible at lower levels.

Snow is expected to turn back into rain as milder air pushes in, with snow melt expected to contribute to flooding in places.

The Met Office warned strong winds could "exacerbate" issues, citing the possibility of blizzard conditions over high ground and across much of Sutherland and Caithness.

In Okrney, snow is forecast to fall from the early hours of New Year's Eve.

It is expected to continue through much of the day before turning to showers in the evening. Up to 20cm is expected, largely across the mainland and Hoy.

Meanwhile, strong and gusty southwesterly winds are forecast to develop across southern Scotland on Tuesday morning, veering to westerly during the evening.

Gusts of 50mph to 60mph are expected, perhaps reaching 70mph in a few exposed areas.

Scotland's biggest Hogmanay celebration is in Edinburgh, where crowds will gather for a street party and concert as part of a four-day festival.

Sunday evening's Torchlight Procession from the Meadows was cancelled due to high winds.

An Edinburgh's Hogmanay spokesperson said: "The safety of all attending is our top priority and following recent torch tests on the route, the winds are proving too strong to proceed safely.

"We know that this will be hugely disappointing to all who wished to participate."

Event organisers Unique Assembly said even though the capital was on the "fringe" of the area covered by the weather warning, it still affected their preparations.

Al Thompson, co-director of the festival, said: "The evening of 31 December itself, on Hogmanay night, is looking more favourable, so we don't have any concerns about the night itself.

"But the challenge for us over the next 48 hours is getting everything in place, ready to open our doors at 20:00 on Hogmanay and get people into the party."

Mr Thompson also reminded people coming to the Hogmanay event that "it's winter in Scotland", and urged them to dress accordingly.

Police Scotland Ch Supt David Robertson warned people without tickets would not get in, and urged those with tickets to plan ahead.

He said: "Think about how you'll get here safely, how you'll get home, and then think about how you'll manage to look after yourself and others.

"Make sure you're appropriately dressed if you're going to consume alcohol, make sure you know your limits, and make sure you think about how you look after your belongings."