More heavy rain is expected to sweep over the north east of Scotland in the coming days, prompting the Met Office to issue another weather alert.

The latest yellow weather warning for rain covers Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee, and Perth and Kinross – most of which saw prolonged downpours cause problems for residents last week, including flooding.

The warning runs from 12pm on Thursday to 12pm on Saturday.

Seven people are known to have died in the UK during Storm Babet, including three people north of the border. They were Wendy Taylor, 57, of Perthshire; John Gillan, 56, of Arbroath; and Peter Pelling, 61, also of Arbroath.

Brechin in Angus was the worst affected area in north-east Scotland, and hundreds of homes had to be evacuated after the river South Esk breached its banks.

The Met Office said on Wednesday: “An area of low pressure becomes firmly in charge over the next few days to bring plenty of showers and further rainfall, especially to parts of eastern Scotland.”

The latest Scottish Flood Forecast update said: “There is a possibility of some localised impacts from rivers and surface water on Thursday and Friday in the north east, Caithness and Sunderland, and Easter Ross and Great Glen due to further heavy rain.

“Rivers levels in the north east are not forecast to be as high as experienced during Storm Babet and widespread significant flooding is not currently expected.”

Elsewhere, Network Rail Scotland warned: “More extremely heavy rain is on the way. It won’t be to the levels from Storm Babet, but it will affect the same areas, already with saturated ground. It will bring a risk of flooding.”