Drenched emergency crews face callouts across Scotland tonight as rising floodwaters saw torrential rain combine with a tidal surge.

Nearly 40 flood warnings loom for towns and cities the length of the country in the wake of dire weather forecasts from Dumfries and Galloway to the Isle of Skye.

Those worst hit on the west coast today included Ardrossan in North Ayrshire and Dumbarton in West Dunbartonshire, with waves crashing over esplanades and roads submerged in water.