Scotland is facing a weekend of heavy rain and potentially damaging winds as Storm Boelo moves across the country, with an amber weather warning now in force.
The Met Office upgraded its warnings on Friday morning as confidence increased over the potential impact of the storm, which is expected to bring widespread gusts of 60 to 70mph and winds of up to 80mph in exposed coastal areas.
The amber warning begins at 9pm on Saturday and runs through Sunday, covering Glasgow, Edinburgh and large parts of western, central, northern and eastern Scotland.
Forecasters warn that flying debris could pose a danger to life, while power cuts, fallen trees and damage to buildings are possible. Road, rail, air and ferry services could also face cancellations and delays, with some roads and bridges potentially forced to close.
Storm Boelo will begin to make its presence felt earlier on Saturday as heavy rain pushes into western Scotland and spreads eastwards during the day.
Winds will also strengthen steadily, with the worst conditions developing during Saturday evening before very strong westerly winds spread across the country overnight.
The Met Office said high winds will be accompanied by periods of heavy rain and frequent showers, with the severe conditions continuing through much of Sunday before gradually easing from the west.
In Glasgow, Saturday is expected to begin cloudy and relatively calm before outbreaks of rain arrive and become heavy at times. Winds will increase through the day, reaching gale or severe gale force later.
Temperatures in Glasgow are expected to reach around 12C on Saturday before falling to around 10C on Sunday. Sunday will remain very windy, with severe gales and locally heavy showers possible.
Edinburgh could see some brighter conditions early on Saturday before rain spreads east, becoming heavy at times. It is expected to turn somewhat drier towards the evening, although winds will continue to increase as Storm Boelo strengthens.
Temperatures in the capital are forecast to reach around 12C on Saturday and 10C on Sunday. The Met Office forecast for Edinburgh and the Lothians warns of severe gales and locally heavy showers during Sunday.
Across Scotland, the most disruptive period is expected to come from Saturday night into Sunday.
A wider yellow warning covers a broader area, with the Met Office forecasting gusts of 55 to 65mph widely and potentially 70 to 80mph or more around exposed coasts and higher ground.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Mark Sidaway, said: “There are a number of severe weather warnings issued for Storm Boelo, including an Amber warning for all of mainland Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the very far north of England. Gusts could reach up to 80mph in places. More widely gusts will still reach 50-60mph and spells of heavy rain could also lead to some impacts.
“People should prepare by securing loose items outside their property, being ready in case of power outages and being aware of likely travel disruption.”
Storm Boelo follows Storm Austen, which has brought wet and windy conditions further south in the UK on Friday.
Conditions should gradually improve from the west later on Sunday, although the unsettled spell is not expected to disappear completely. Another area of rain and strengthening winds is forecast to move across the country on Monday.