Flood chaos hits Scotland as month’s worth of rain falls in just 24 hours

The owner of HQC Hairdressers in Glasgow, pours buckets of water out of her flooded salon.

Authorities warned of “danger to life” as Scotland was battered by a powerful deluge.

The country was left largely swamped as almost a month’s worth of rain fell in just 24 hours.

Weather warnings covering many areas are expected to remain in place until 2pm today.

In Argyll, 10 people had to be airlifted to safety by HM Coastguard helicopter after their cars became stranded on washed-out roads.

Roads were closed and numerous train services cancelled as the sheer scale of the severe weather became clear. Police warned against travel in many areas.

Flooding causes travel chaos

The M9 motorway near Stirling was “barely passable”, with lanes closed due to flooding.

No trains ran into Scotland from south of the border and many domestic routes were suspended over fears the rail network would be unable to cope with the volume of rain. Cancellations affected the timetable of the Glasgow to West Highland line and the route between Inverness and Perth.

Bear Scotland said its engineers were clearing roads and culverts but some would not even be inspected until today.

A total of 17 flood alerts and 53 more serious flood warnings were put in place.

A cyclist ploughs through the water in Thornliebank.

Near Glasgow, residents of Thornliebank in East Renfrewshire placed sandbags at their front doors to prevent floodwater inundating their properties.

Meanwhile, just a mile away, dogs under the control of Police Scotland had to be evacuated from their pound in Pollok Park after floodwater deluged the car park and exercise area.

The A83 at Butterbridge, north of the Rest and Be Thankful, was reduced to a muddy heap after tonnes of material was washed down the mountainside.

The A82 was affected by flooding south of Glencoe, and further north the same road was closed in both directions by a fallen tree between Invermoriston and Fort Augustus.

Susan Johnston, from Kilmelford, said: “I went in to work in Oban but then went back because I thought ‘I am not going to get home’.

“It was scary, I was crawling along – you just didn’t know what was underneath the floodwater.

“We have got a river running through Kilmelford, the local pub is barricaded up and I don’t think we are even going to have a road tomorrow.”

In Perthshire last night, further flooding led to more road closures, including the B935 Bridge of Earn to Forgandenny and the B898 Dalguise road.

Yesterday’s football fixtures were impacted with four games cancelled, including the top league clash between Dundee and Ross County.

‘Not a normal autumn day’

Vincent Fitzsimons, flood duty manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), said: “Sepa has issued regional flood alerts and more locally specific flood warnings across Scotland due to the major rainfall event that is bringing prolonged, heavy rain throughout the day and into Sunday.

Rosie the dog, out for a walk in Queens Park, Glasgow.

“I want to be very clear that this is not a normal autumn day for Scotland.

“We’re expecting extensive river and surface water flooding in affected areas. There is a danger to life. There will be widespread impacts to road and rail. There is a risk of more significant community-scale property flooding.

“Many areas will see heavy rain for well over 24 hours before it clears on Sunday.”

Fitzsimons added: “Of particular concern are communities in the amber area that extends from west central Scotland northwards. Examples include Aviemore and communities down the Spey Valley, and also Milngavie, Aberfoyle, Callander and Bridge of Allan.”

Met Office chief meteorologist Neil Armstrong said: “Prolonged heavy rain is expected to cause widespread disruption for much of Scotland. While Saturday into Sunday will be widely very wet, the heaviest, most disruptive, rain is expected in western and central Scotland.

“Within the amber warning area, 80mm-100mm of rain is likely quite widely, with as much as 150mm-180mm possible in some of the wettest spots. We’ll continue to review warnings.”

Oban cut off as flooding blocks roads

A car is submerged after heavy downpours hit Oban.

Oban was among those worst hit by persistent downpours, with the town cut off from the rest of Scotland.

Floods and landslides blocked all routes out of the popular tourist spot.

Police were turning cars back to Oban for their own safety as they warned drivers not to travel in Argyll and Bute.

Jan Roberts, of Oban’s Barriemore Guesthouse, said guests had left yesterday morning to head home.

But Mrs Roberts added: “They got as far as Dalmally and were told by police that every road out was closed.

“They came back here and luckily we had room for them.”

Andy Spence, chief executive of business group Bid4Oban, said: “Oban is completely cut off, you can’t go past Dalmally, down to Lochgilphead, or up to Fort William. “This is the worst I have known, flooding to happen so quickly.

“The water just came up so quickly and it’s now horrendous.”

Saturday morning shoppers were stopped in their tracks when the road to the town’s retail park was closed, as fast rising flood water swamped parked cars.

By the afternoon, Tesco had closed due to flooding and other stores also closed for the safety of staff.