TRAVELLERS taking to the roads for the Christmas getaway have been warned to take extra care, with heavy rain and flooding predicted to seriously disrupt many routes in the coming days.

Much of Scotland has been battered by major downpours during the past 24 hours, with more wet weather on the way, raising fears of a festive washout.

The Met office has issued amber-level severe weather warnings for the Grampian, Tayside and Central regions, which will come in to force at 10am today and last until 9am on Sunday.

Yellow warnings have been issued for the rest of Scotland, with three bands of heavy rain expected to sweep into the country between now and Christmas Day, while forecasters are also predicting high winds.

The severe weather has already led to the disruption of ferries and freight ships to Shetland, leading to shortages of basic necessities. Supermarket giant Tesco has chartered a Hercules transport plane to fly in goods to the islands today after shelves were stripped bare.

Airports have also been working overtime, with 250,000 people expected to take to the air this weekend.

Steve Willington, the Met Office's chief forecaster, said: "Further active frontal systems will move across the UK over the next few days and we could see rainfall up to more than 100mm in parts of eastern Scotland by the end of the weekend.

"The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings, which means the public should plan ahead to take account of possible travel delays or disruption, especially as they make their way to friends and family for the Christmas period. By thinking ahead, the public can be better prepared for severe weather."

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has warned flooding could affect Central, Fife, Tayside, Angus and southern Aberdeenshire due to saturation following the recent heavy rainfall.

The AA said drivers should check conditions before travelling and warned people not to trust satellite navigation systems as the devices will not report routes blocked by flooding.

The RAC has stepped up its patrols and said people should think seriously about postponing their journeys if the weather is against them. Paul Mavin, RAC patrol manager for Scotland, said: "We have been experiencing significantly increased volumes of breakdowns in Scotland driven by the adverse weather conditions, and expect to end the month almost 25% above a normal December.

"Motorists are advised to delay or postpone travelling if they can but, if they must drive, then we would encourage them to take extra care, leave plenty of room between their car and the vehicle in front and to check out the winter driving advice."

A total of 18 Sepa flood warnings were in place across Scotland yesterday, with Tayside and Fife the worst-affected areas.

Numerous roads were closed around Dundee, including the A92, while a few minor roads were shut in Central Scotland and Grampian, and one in Dumfries and Galloway.

Sergeant Mark Hill, of Tayside Road Policing, said: "We attended several collisions during this spell of dreadful weather where road surfaces

have been affected by flood water."

There was disruption to rail services due to a landslip between Gleneagles and Perth at around 11am yesterday.

ScotRail said services could be delayed or revised at short notice as a result. Coastal communities, which were hit by severe storms last weekend, have been put on alert for rising river levels and high waves.

Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: "The public should remain vigilant and pay attention to Floodline."

The Fire Service rescued two families from their homes in Cupar after the River Eden burst its banks early yesterday. Sandbags prevented water breaching most properties.

Loganair has put on an extra flight between Aberdeen and Shetland today due to the ferry disruption. The flight is scheduled for 3.50pm and bookings can be made from this morning.