The Met Office set an amber warning for Scotland and said parts of the country could get 50mm of rain that could cause dangerous floods
The fierce bomb cyclone that has hit the US has caused storms in the UK that have prompted threat-to-life warnings from the Met Office.
An amber weather warning for heavy rain has been issued for Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders for Friday when up to 50mm of rain is expected that could cause life-threatening floods.
The Met Office urged people to reconsider travel plans and warned of possible delays or cancellations to train and bus services.
A yellow weather warning for heavy rain also runs until 6pm on Friday over Central Scotland, Tayside and Fife, south west Scotland, Lothian and Borders and Strathclyde.
A yellow warning of snow and ice covering northern Scotland, apart from Orkney and Shetland, is in place until Thursday evening.
The Met Office said the US cyclone is strengthening the North Atlantic jet stream which would create wet and windy conditions in the UK over the next seven to 10 days.
⚠️⚠️ Amber weather warning issued ⚠️⚠️
Rain SW Scotland
Friday 0300-1200
⚠️Yellow weather warning updated ⚠️
Rain Scotland
Friday 0000-1400
Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs
Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/giBVOuh2dT
“The UK weather is going to remain unsettled with further spells of wet and windy weather due to the strengthening of the jet stream because of the weather in the US,” Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said.
“The effect it’s having on the UK is nowhere near as dramatic because that system has brought up a lot of cold air further south, across the US.
“Indeed, the cyclone is only having an effect on the UK due to its impact on the North Atlantic jet stream.
“What effect (the bomb cyclone) has had is to strengthen the jet stream, because the jet stream is basically driven by temperature differences.
“So the starker the difference in temperature between the northern edge of it and southern edge, the stronger the jet stream becomes.”
Police Scotland urged people to plan ahead and warned of a high risk of disruption to travel plans.
The Scottish Government said the Multi-Agency Response Team will monitor conditions throughout the amber warning period.
Superintendent Stewart Mackie, of Police Scotland’s Road Policing Division, said: “An amber weather warning has been issued for heavy rainfall and flooding across southern Scotland, and people should consider delaying any travel plans until conditions improve.
“If your journey is essential, please plan ahead by making sure you have sufficient fuel and supplies in your vehicle, a charged mobile telephone and always drive as the conditions allow.
“Be aware road closures and travel delays are likely, with potential disruption to public transport services.”
More than 60 people have died in the winter storm across North America, which has left thousands in the New York city of Buffalo without power.
Conditions are expected to improve in the coming days with temperatures reaching 10C, prompting warnings of minor floods.
In the UK, the weekend is forecast to be unsettled, with snow over the Highlands, showers and rain in southern England, and frosts and fog overnight.
Snow is expected over the Highlands, showers and rain in southern England, and frosts and fog today.
“On Friday, we’ll see another spell of wet, windy weather with milder temperatures and then similar sorts of patterns to that over the next few days,” Mr Partridge said.
“So the general sort of knock-on effect of the weather in the US is that in general, the UK is going to be a little bit milder than it would normally be at this time of year.”
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