Amber weather warning for rain issued across Highland and Moray

There's a warning heavy rain could bring "property flooding" on New Year's Eve as the Met Office issue an amber weather alert across parts of the North of Scotland.

Forecasters say conditions will develop through Monday night and into Tuesday, with travel disruption and power cuts likely.

Areas within the updated alert includes, Inverness, Dingwall, Kingussie and Aviemore.

In Moray, Rothes is also covered by the amber warning, which is in place between midnight tonight and 5pm tomorrow.

Officials have confirmed that the Scottish Government's Resilience Room (SGORR) has been activated, which is only done in times of national emergency.

This comes as a yellow weather warning for snow and rain had already been issued across the most of Scotland.

Advice for those travelling for New Year celebrations

Scottish Government officials say they will continue to monitor the situation and work with frontline agencies to mitigate the impacts of the severe weather.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance will chair a meeting of SGORR this evening to review the Government's preparedness for the challenging weather ahead.

With thousands preparing to use the transport network over the coming days, people are being asked to plan ahead.

Traffic Scotland operator manager at Transport Scotland, Douglas Cairns said: "The severe weather across much of Scotland this week will unfortunately cause some disruption across the transport network.

"Road, rail, air and ferry services are all likely to be affected by the conditions, with localised flooding, longer journey times and cancellations possible, as well as potential restrictions on bridges.

"The network is also expected to be busy as people travel to celebrate New Year with friends and family.

"We are asking travellers to plan their journeys before setting off to ensure they reach their destination and celebrations in good time.

"If you’re driving, make sure your vehicle is winter ready and follow any Police Scotland travel advice that may be in place.

"Traffic Scotland provides up-to-date travel information on the trunk road network through its website, X account and internet radio broadcasts.

“The same advice goes for other modes of transport – if you are planning to travel by rail, air or ferry, stay in contact with your operator for the latest service information."