AN upgraded weather warning has been issued for all of the Scottish Borders.

The Met Office's original Yellow warning for Thursday has been increased to Amber.

From midnight tonight through until 3pm tomorrow the region can expect torrential rain at times and the threat of flooding.

There is also the chance of some roads being cut off and a loss of power to some communities.

It has been predicted that 30 to 50mm of rain could fall on Thursday, with 80 to 100mm likely over higher ground.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has also issued flood alerts for the region as well as Edinburgh and Lothians.

Marc Becker from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency said: "Persistent and heavy rainfall is expected to head into south-east Scotland on Wednesday night continuing into Thursday morning resulting in a risk of surface water and river flooding impacts.

“The rainfall is expected to be heaviest over high ground in East Lothian and eastern areas of the Scottish Borders. This may result in travel disruption and flooding of properties and infrastructure in these areas.

“SEPA is working 24/7 to monitor rainfall and river levels, and is in close contact with the Met Office and other partners to review the forecasts and flood warnings. The rainfall is currently expected to spread westwards during Thursday turning lighter later in the day."

The Multi-Agency Response Team, based at the National Traffic Control Centre in South Queensferry, will be stood up for the duration of the warning to monitor conditions and help deploy response teams where necessary.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson said: "The Met Office is warning of heavy rain, particularly in East Lothian and parts of the Scottish Borders, for most of the day on Thursday, so travellers should expect some disruption on the trunk road network.

“The rain will likely lead to difficult driving conditions, so I’d urge travellers to plan their journey ahead, drive to the conditions and follow Police Scotland travel advice.

“Motorists should check with Traffic Scotland before they set off to make sure that their route is available.

“The conditions are also likely to lead to disruption on other modes of transport, so travellers should check with their operators before they set out.”