BRITAIN must brace itself for torrential downpours in the aftermath of category-two Hurricane Ernesto.
The remains of the powerful storm are expected to combine with humid summer air and cause heavy rain to batter the UK, according to the Met Office.
Yellow weather warnings have been issued by the forcaster for Thursday and up to 6 inches of rain is predicted.
Winds of 60mph could affect some areas over a 24-hour period, with flooding, dangerous coastal conditions and power cuts possible, the Met Office said.
The forecaster has issued a yellow warning for rain for the western half of Scotland, covering the Highlands, south-west Scotland and Strathclyde, from 11am on Wednesday to 8am on Thursday.
Separate yellow warnings for wind covering northern Wales and northern England, including both Cumbria and Northumberland, have been issued from 1am to 9am on Thursday.
Hurricane Ernesto ripped through the North Atlantic last week, but has now weakened to a tropical storm after leaving hundreds of thousands of people in Puerto Rico and Bermuda without power.
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said: “Through today and into tomorrow, we have got some potentially impactful weather for parts of the west of Scotland and north-west England, with some winds and rain being the main hazards that we’re keeping an eye on.”
A band of rain moving in from the west will become slow-moving in parts of western Scotland on Wednesday.
It is expected to bring with it 3 to 4 inches of rain in some areas and possibly up to 6 inches over higher ground, the forecaster said.
Strong winds of around 50mph, “associated with” the rain, will blow fairly widely in the areas covered by the warning, while gusts of around 60mph could occur in exposed locations.
Mr Dixon said: “There is a chance of some disruption, particularly to travel, and particularly dangerous conditions in some coastal areas as well.
He added that there is also “the chance of beach material being thrown on to seafronts, and some coastal roads having some trickier conditions.”
The Met Office said Hurricane Ernesto is “part of the mix” influencing the wet and windy spell but is not causing it on its own.
Mr Dixon continued: “What’s happening is (the hurricane) is getting swept up into other systems and it’s bringing some extra moisture.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued 21 flood alerts, meaning flooding is expected, across the Orkney and the Western Isles, and coastal areas in Moray and Dumfries and Galloway.
The Environment Agency has also issued two flood warnings – for Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire and the Wye Estuary in Monmouthshire, near the historic Tintern Abbey.
Traffic will be diverted from the A83 Rest And Be Thankful road to the Old Military Road in Argyll and Bute from 7pm on Wednesday.
This is to ensure the safety of road users, with landslides previously affecting the area, road maintenance firm BEAR Scotland said.
More than a dozen ferry services on the Scottish west coast have been cancelled or disrupted due to the conditions.
Lighter rain is also expected to fall in Northern Ireland throughout Wednesday, while largely dry conditions will cover southern and central areas of England with spells of hazy sunshine, the forecaster said.
The band of rain will move eastwards throughout the day on Thursday, bringing sunny spells and blustery showers in the North and West, and the strong winds will ease through the afternoon.
Unsettled weather in north-western areas of the country and generally drier conditions further south and east are set to continue into the bank holiday weekend.
Showers are still likely in the latter and temperatures are expected to be slightly below average, the Met Office said.
