Northern Ireland should escape the worst as flooding affects Scotland and southern England

Large parts of Scotland, including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, are now under a yellow Met Office warning for possible flood damage to property and road closures, while more than 200 people had to be evacuated from their homes in West Sussex following downpours.

In Northern Ireland, heavy rain on Wednesday morning should give way to drier and brighter weather in the afternoon, and then become drier again in the evening.

The maximum temperature on Wednesday will be 14C, the Met Office said.

The outlook for the rest of the week is bright spells with outbreaks of rain.

In Scotland, a further yellow warning has been issued for rain on Wednesday covering the west, including Oban, Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire, and Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, which were predicted to be hit by heavy rain with the risk of flooding between 9am and 6pm.

The Met Office warned people to anticipate that bus and train journeys would take longer on both days, while drivers were told to be aware of spray and flooding on the roads adding additional travel time.

Between 20-40mm of rain is expected across most areas, but some places could see as much as 50-60 mm of rainfall, the Met Office said.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has 14 flood alerts and seven flood warnings in place.

The Met Office warning for Tuesday said: “Fast-flowing or deep floodwater is possible, with one or two communities temporarily cut off by flooded roads.”

A spokesperson said: “Homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings, this more likely in southern Scotland and the south of the Central Lowlands.

“There is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses. Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, together with possible delays or cancellations to train and bus services”.

In West Sussex, hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes after the River Arun burst its banks, amid warnings that “flooding may increase” throughout Tuesday.

One person showing signs of hypothermia was taken to hospital.