Flood warnings remain in place as rain eases
Rail passengers have been warned of further disruption on Monday.
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Your support makes all the difference.Flood warnings remain in place as the clean-up operation continues following a weekend of extreme rainfall which caused disruption across Scotland.
Two severe flood warnings were in place in Aviemore/Dalfaber and Perth on Monday morning while 52 flood warnings and eight flood alerts were in place elsewhere around the country.
Heavy rain caused flooding across many parts of Scotland over the weekend, leading to road closures and train cancellations.
ScotRail said disruption caused by flooding will continue into Monday for some routes, with services between Edinburgh/Queen Street and Inverness, and Queen Street to Aberdeen/Dundee/Perth and Arbroath unable to run.
They advised people to check their journey on its app or website in the morning before setting off.
The Met Office weather warnings for heavy rain which were in place over the weekend have now lifted but a yellow warning of heavy rainfall in western parts of the country has been issued for Tuesday.
Police Scotland said communities “faced some of the most challenging conditions ever” over the weekend, with 10 motorists airlifted to safety on Saturday due to landslides on the A83 in Argyll and Bute, which dislodged 2,000 tonnes of debris. Another four were airlifted in Kilmartin, Argyll and Bute.
Ruth Ellis, Scottish Environment Protection Agency flood duty manager, said: “It’s been a difficult weekend across Scotland, with severe weather causing widespread travel disruption to road and rail networks, and impacts in communities all over Scotland.
“Across many areas of the country there is still some deep-standing water and it’s really important people understand the danger. Hazards can be hidden, so please don’t walk or drive into flood water.
“Remember that not only is flood water likely to be dirty, 30cm of fast-flowing water can move an average family-sized car, and just 15cm of fast-flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet.
“Our teams have been working around the clock with partner agencies, including Scottish Government, the Met Office, emergency services and local authorities, across this major weather event.”
The challenges posed by the flooding has been compared to those faced during the Beast from the East period of cold weather in 2018.
Stein Connelly, head of transport resilience at Transport Scotland, said: “It’s been an extremely challenging 72 hours, with perhaps some of most difficult conditions we’ve experienced since the Beast from the East.
“In terms of Argyll, the area around the A83 Rest and Be Thankful saw a month’s worth of rainfall, around 160mm, fall over 36 hours.
“Only a small amount of debris has reached the road at the Rest and Be Thankful itself.
“Safety inspections are now under way and teams are on site to begin clear-up operations once it is deemed safe to do so.”
Elsewhere, work is under way to clear other roads affected by flooding.
The Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) met on Sunday to discuss and plan the response to the situation.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance, who chaired the meeting, said multi-agency response teams stand ready and prepared to respond to any flooding incidents.
She said: “The rainfall we have seen over Scotland this weekend has been extreme, causing significant disruption – particularly in the west and north of the country.
“These impacts are ongoing and I want to put on record my thanks to all the staff and volunteers responding across the country.”