NETWORK Rail is holding meetings on extreme weather to “keep Scotland’s railway moving safely” after the Met Office set yellow warnings for rain and thunderstorms for parts of Scotland.

According to the organisation, heavy rain and storms are expected on Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, people in the Aberdeenshire area have been warned that rain may lead to local flooding and travel disruption, while most parts of Scotland south of Forth William are braced for heavy downpours and thunder. On Saturday, thunderstorms are expected across mainland Scotland.

The National:

Friday's weather warning

The Met Office has warned of flooding risks to homes, businesses and roads, and added: “Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services.”

In response, the body that maintains Scotland’s railway infrastructure said it would hold a conference on how to limit disruption.

“We're currently holding an extreme weather teleconference to discuss our plans following [the Met Office’s] forecast of heavy rain and thunderstorms across parts of Scotland on Friday, Saturday & Sunday,” Network Rail confirmed online.

The National:

“We're making sure everything's in place to keep Scotland's railway moving safely.”

Yellow weather warnings for thunder and heavy rain have also been issued across areas in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Forecasters believe some areas, particularly the north west of England and north Wales, could see as much as 80-100mm of rain on Friday.

Although the turbulent weather looks set to continue for a time, the Met Office has said there are early signs that temperatures could start to increase through next week.