Scotland braced for heavy rain and floods in winter…

Scotland braced for heavy rain and floods in winter washout this week after snow

Scotland's snowy weather will soon turn wet and windy as forecasters predict persistent rain from tomorrow.

The Met Office has issued a fresh weather warning for "heavy" rain that will hit the southwest at midnight on Thursday until 3pm that afternoon. With up to four inches of rain predicted to fall in some areas, flooding could extend travel times on the road.

A number of National Severe Weather Warnings are in place for wind, snow and ice and there is a chance more warnings will be issued as the week progresses.

Rainfall will be accompanied with high winds, causing sprays which will likely impact road visibility. Drivers are being urged to make sure their car is fully clear of snow as driving with unclear windows is dangerous and could even result in fines and penalty points.

Met Office Chief Forecaster Dan Suri said: "As we head through the second half of the week conditions turn milder, wetter and windier from the west. This change to milder conditions will be preceded by some snow over parts of northern England and Scotland later on Wednesday, mainly over higher ground.

"The far north of Scotland is most likely to hold on to the cold air the longest, possibly lingering until later in the weekend."

All travellers are being asked to plan ahead and bear in mind that possible journey delays may occur on public transport.

Stein Connelly from Transport Scotland said: "Large parts of Scotland will continue to see challenging weather over the next few days, so it’s important that travellers keep up to date on road conditions and plan their journeys.

"You should look at your route in advance, drive to the conditions and follow any Police Scotland travel advice that’s in place. There may be disruption on other modes of transport, so you should check with your operators before setting off if you’re planning to travel by rail, ferry or air."

This comes amid snow warning in place that begins at 4pm Wednesday, lasting until 4am on Thursday morning. Forecasters have said several centimetres of snow is expected to fall "especially" in Scotland, but conditions are set to become milder by the end of the week.

Here's what you should know about Scotland's latest weather warning, including how long it will last and areas affected.

Yellow weather warning in Scotland - Rain

The warning covers a lot of ground between Scotland and England (Met Office)

When: Thursday, March 16 - midnight until 3pm

A yellow weather warning has been issued by the Met Office which will being late on Thursday night, lasting until the next afternoon.

Forecasters said: "Rain is expected to set in during Wednesday evening, turning particularly heavy and persistent overnight especially over southwest facing hills. 40-70 mm is likely quite widely, with the wettest spots possibly seeing in excess of 100 mm of rain.

"The rain will be coupled with generally windy conditions which is likely to further reduce visibility from spray. Conditions will slowly improve through Thursday afternoon."