An amber weather warning has been issued for parts of north-east Scotland by the Met Office, signalling an increased risk of flooding to homes and businesses.

The warning, which comes into effect at midnight and lasts until 6pm, will affect areas including Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, Fife, Perth & Kinross, Stirling, Highlands, Eilean Siar, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, and Moray.

This follows a broader yellow warning for rain already in place across most of north-east Scotland, running from 6pm on Wednesday until 11.59pm on Friday.

The Met Office has cautioned that properties and commercial premises in the most impacted regions are likely to experience flooding.

It also said there may be delays or cancellations to public transport, and some communities may be cut off.

Drivers have been warned to take care, and the Met Office said power cuts are possible.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has a flood warning in place for the Churchill Barriers in the Orkney Isles, and six less severe flood alerts in parts of north-east and central Scotland.

The Scottish Government says its multi-agency response team will keep a close watch on conditions as they worsen.

Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “The Met Office is forecasting heavy rain in parts of eastern Scotland over the next few days, which will likely bring disruption to the transport network.

Drivers have been warned to take care, and the Met Office said power cuts are possible (Ben Birchall/PA)

“If you have to travel, please make sure you plan your journey before you set off. Motorists can use the Traffic Scotland service to see if their route is available – they have the most up-to-date information on the trunk road network on their website, social media channels and radio broadcasts.

“The forecast conditions are also likely to impact the rail network, so please check with ScotRail to see if your service is affected. The same advice stands for people planning on travelling by air or ferry.”

ScotRail has speed restrictions in place for its Perth to Inverness route from 6pm on Wednesday until 9.30am on Saturday, and its Aberdeen to Inverness routes from 12.01am on Thursday until 12pm on Friday.

Ferry operator CalMac has cancelled all Oban-Coll-Tiree services on Thursday, and says some other services may be subject to cancellations or delays at short notice.

Police Scotland have advised drivers to take care when travelling while the weather warnings are in place.

Chief Superintendent Scott McCarren, head of road policing, said: “The amber warning for rain means there is a high risk of disruption on the road network and travel conditions may be hazardous.

“Motorists are therefore advised to take extra caution when driving and avoid non-essential travel until road conditions improve.

“If you do have to travel then plan ahead, and ensure both you and your vehicle are suitably equipped for the conditions you may face and be aware that the delays may result in you spending longer within your vehicle, so make sure your mobile phone is charged and you have plenty of fuel, warm clothing, food and water.

“Please also pay attention to any road signage and warnings relating to flooded roads or surface water and do not try to access any routes that are closed because of the conditions.

“Stay tuned to media outlets for further updates and consult the Traffic Scotland website and social media channels for information relating to affected roads.”