SCOTLAND has been lashed with more rain in the first two weeks of August than the average for the month, according to the Met Office.

Figures up to August 13 show 4.77 inches of rain so far as the remnants of Hurricane Bertha swept the country, compared to a monthly average of 4.59 inches.

The Inverness and Moray areas have been particularly wet and suffered significant flooding at the start of the week, although councillors in the Moray area said that a flood alleviation scheme which is now partially completed had helped save hundreds of homes and businesses from damage.

However, many residents still had to be evacuated from their homes while railway and ferry services were disrupted and roads were blocked by high winds and wet conditions.

Further warnings of severe weather have been issued by the Met Office for tomorrow and Monday, with gale-force winds expected to sweep across the country.

The UK was hit with nearly its entire average rainfall for August in just the first half of the month. It has seen 3.4 inches of rain so far, just short of the 3.5 inches monthly average.