FESTIVE travellers have been warned to take extra care after flood and gale warnings were put in place.
Scotland was hit by heavy downpours yesterday, causing misery for last-minute shoppers.
And winds are today expected to top 70mph in parts of the country, raising fears of disruption for travellers making a last-minute getaway.
The Met office has issued amber weather warnings for the Grampian, Tayside and Central regions.
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.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has warned flooding could affect Central, Fife, Tayside, Angus and southern Aberdeenshire.
And the AA said drivers should check conditions before travelling.
In Scotland, the worst rainfall was recorded in the Western Isles where more than 29mm fell yesterday.
Aberdeen was hit by 21mm, while Glasgow suffered almost 14mm.
Today gales may cause disruption, with gusts of more than 70mph expected in the Northern Isles.
The severe weather has led to the disruption of ferries and freight ships to Shetland.
Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: "With more rain and high winds expected I urge the public to be extra vigilant and to pay particular attention to the likes of local radio and websites as well as Sepa's Floodline before embarking on any journeys.
"This afternoon I chaired the Scottish Government's Resilience Operation meeting to ensure we remain fully aware of the picture.
"I would again like to thank all agencies and local responders for their efforts and hard work over the last 24 hours in dealing with the conditions."
Forecasters are predicting more wet weather in the next few days. However, the cold snap is set to return on Boxing Day.
Stuart Brooks, forecaster with the Met Office, said: "There will be showers over the next few days and into Christmas Day. The following day the cooling trend will continue and we can expect night frosts."
It came as rain affected rail passengers in southern parts of the UK, while homes and businesses in southwest England were hit by flooding.
Four severe flood warnings were issued in Devon and Cornwall and more than 70mm of rain fell in some parts of Wales.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "Exceptional weather conditions are having a serious impact on the transport network at what is already a difficult time of year.
"The Highways Agency and Network Rail have emergency staff working round the clock to keep motorways and rail tracks open where it is safe to do so while train operators are working hard to keep services running.
"We urge people travelling through the most affected areas to plan ahead and check the latest travel information. We will continue to ensure everything possible is being done to help people get to where they need to be for Christmas."
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