Weather this weekend: Met Office issues yellow warnings as heavy rain forecast - see full list

The Met Office has extended alerts for heavy rain over the weekend as floods are expected to hit parts of Scotland in the coming days. It comes after the country was battered by Storm Babet last week with the Met Office issuing a rare red weather warning for "exceptional" rainfall.

The latest yellow weather warning for rain covers Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee, and Perth and Kinross – most of which saw prolonged downpours cause problems for residents last week. The warning was originally to run from midday on Thursday (26 October) to midday on Saturday (28 October) but will now remain in place until midday on Sunday (29 October).

The latest Scottish Flood Forecast said “significant flooding impacts” are likely in the north east on Friday (27 October) and Saturday due to more torrential downpours. There is also a risk of further impacts in areas recovering from recent flooding.

It said: “River levels are not expected to be as high as experienced during Storm Babet but as the rain will be falling onto already wet ground, flooding from surface water runoff may also cause impacts. Caithness and Sutherland, Easter Ross and Great Glen and the south west of Scotland may also experience some localised flooding due to persistent and heavy rain.”

Network Rail Scotland warned: “More extremely heavy rain is on the way. It won’t be to the levels from Storm Babet, but it will affect the same areas, already with saturated ground. It will bring a risk of flooding.”

The Met Office has also issued a yellow weather warning for rain for several areas in England including Hampshire, Berkshire, Sussex, Kent, Essex and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Heavy rain is expected from early Saturday (midnight) until early on Sunday (6am). There is a “small chance” that homes and businesses could be flooded, and people are being warned the disruption could cause delays or cancellations to train and bus services. Sray and flooding could also lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “After a wet week, further heavy and at times thundery showers, will merge into longer spells of rain between early Saturday and Sunday morning. Many parts of the warning area will see 15-30 mm, whilst the wettest spots, most likely close to English Channel coasts, could see 50-70 mm. In addition, overnight Saturday into early Sunday, strong winds gusting 45-55 mph are also probable along exposed parts of the English Channel coastline.”

Seven people are known to have died in the UK during Storm Babet, including three people north of the border. They were Wendy Taylor, 57, of Perthshire; John Gillan, 56, of Arbroath; and Peter Pelling, 61, also of Arbroath. Brechin in Angus was the worst affected area in north-east Scotland, and hundreds of homes had to be evacuated after the river South Esk breached its banks.