Heavy rain warning upgraded to amber in Scotland on Hogmanay

A weather warning for heavy rain on Hogmanay has been upgraded to amber in parts of Scotland.

A series of Met Office alerts for rain and snow had already been issued covering the entire country, running into New Year’s Day.

Heavy rain has already led to the cancellation of trains in the Highlands, with the Highland Main Line at Kingussie closed due to rising river levels.

The amber warning covers an area from Inverness to Fort William from midnight until 17:00 on Tuesday.

NetworkRail said water levels on the Gynack Burn at Kingussie on the Highland Main Line were too high to safely run trains on Monday.

ScotRail said there would be disruption between Inverness and Glasgow Queen Street and urged people to check their journeys before travel.

A yellow alert for snow has also been issued for Orkney and Shetland 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.

The warnings come after high winds on Sunday led to the cancellation of Edinburgh’s Torchlight Procession, which had been due to kick off the city’s Hogmanay events.

The city hosts Scotland’s biggest Hogmanay celebration, where crowds will gather for a street party and concert as part of a four-day festival.