Heavy rain and flooding have hit northeast Scotland, leading to numerous road closures and travel disruptions. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain covering parts of the northeast, Angus, and Perth until 9 AM on Sunday.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has issued 12 flood warnings, mostly in Tayside, Dundee, and Angus. The Coupar Angus Road leading to Alyth was closed due to flooding, and Murdo Fraser, MSP for mid-Scotland and Fife, reported that flood gates had been closed in Perth.
Football matches in Dundee and Montrose were also called off earlier due to waterlogged pitches. According to a Met Office spokesperson, many places in the affected region have seen over 100mm of rainfall in the past three days, and a further 20-30mm is expected, with some areas potentially receiving up to 50mm.
The heavy rain has also led to speed restrictions on the rail line between Aberdeen and Inverness, and a fallen tree briefly blocked the line towards Dundee. ScotRail has advised passengers to check for updates on their journeys.
South of the border, a yellow weather warning for rain and wind is in place in southwest England and southern Wales until 8 PM on Saturday. The heavy rain and strong winds in these areas are expected to ease by Saturday morning.
Earlier this week, the heavy rain in Scotland led to travel disruption, with three people in Aberdeenshire needing to be rescued from their stranded vehicles by firefighters. The Scottish government’s Resilience Room met on Thursday to discuss the weather situation, and Justice Secretary Angela Constance urged people to pay attention to flood alerts, weather forecasts, and travel updates in their local area.
As the heavy rain continues, residents in the affected regions are advised to be vigilant and take appropriate precautions to protect their homes and properties from potential flooding.
