Image copyright Stuart D Torrential rain and thunderstorms have caused flooding and travel disruption across many parts of central and eastern Scotland.
Homes in North Lanarkshire and Perthshire were flooded and the M8 was closed after water inundated the route.
The reopening of a number of schools in Fife and the north east has also been delayed due to flooding.
Scotrail said services were being disrupted, with lightning strikes causing power outages.
Perth and Kinross, the Lothians, Forth Valley and the north east were the worst hit by overnight lightning strikes and heavy rain.
Fresh rainfall on Wednesday morning also led to localised flooding in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Mackie Academy in Stonehaven said it could not accept pupils after roads to the town became impassable.
Dunnottar school also said it could not reopen after lockdown after the area around the building was completely flooded and impassable even on foot.
A Met office yellow weather warning for thunderstorms is in place until midnight covering most of central and eastern Scotland and drivers are being urged to be cautious on roads.
The fire service said a number of homes were flooded in Airdrie, while they have also been in attendance on the M8 after the dual carriageway was badly affected by flooding between junctions five and seven.
Police were advising people to avoid the area completely as diversion routes were also becoming flooded and impassable.
Fife Council said schools had been heavily affected with power and building problems closing Lochgelly High, Burntisland Primary, St Ninian’s Primary, Valley Primary, Benarty Primary, Denend Primary, Torryburn Primary, Torbain Primary, Kinglassie Primary and their associated nurseries.
Matty Gale, from Lincolnshire, woke up in his hotel in Falkirk to find his car under water. He has been doing work at the Falkirk Wheel.
He told the BBC: “I think my car is pretty much a write-off now. The water is up to the wheels. I can hear car alarms going off – the water has got into the electrics. I couldn’t get a wink of sleep last night because of how loud the thunder was and the lightning was blinding.
“I might have to get the train home.”
The fire service control room in Edinburgh said they had received more than 500 calls through the night amid widespread thunder and lightning and torrential rain.
All flights due to land at Edinburgh Airport are being diverted or delayed.
Images posted to social media showed cars floating in the car park at a Falkirk hotel and at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.
In Perth, heavy rain caused flooding which affected the city’s railway station.
ScotRail posted pictures of the water covering the tracks on social media.
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