Torrential rain and floods shut West Coast mainline as Scots told to batten down hatches for wettest August

Heavy rain caused more ­disruption yesterday as ­forecasters said Scotland could be heading for the ­wettest August ever.

Passengers were trapped on five trains after flooding blocked the track as the deluge caused the partial closure of the West Coast mainline.

Network Rail said water ­levels rose a foot above the northbound track between Penrith and Lockerbie.

Rail services into Scotland were forced to reverse back down the track to Carlisle. Southbound services were later allowed to continue at 5mph – just above walking pace.

One passenger posted a video clip of his Virgin train inching along tracks covered with floodwater.

Network Rail posted a string of pictures and video clips on the internet showing affected tracks and said: “Sometimes we must slow trains down during severe weather to keep passengers safe.”

Network Rail said flooding had subsided at Lockerbie by yesterday evening and the line was fully open by 6pm. It said disruption was expected as they tried to restore services.

Dumfries and Galloway ­suffered some of the heaviest downpours yesterday.

Heavy rain flooded the streets of Castle Douglas and residents used sandbags to protect their properties from the rising water.

Key routes in the south of Scotland, including the A75 east of Dumfries and the A74(M) near Kirkpatrick Fleming, were hit by flooding.

The adverse conditions were not restricted to the south, with Dornoch Bridge in the Highlands closed to high-sided vehicles and the Strathpeffer Highland Gathering cancelled after the car park flooded.

Meanwhile, the Met Office issued fresh warnings of rain and thunder­storms across the UK.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency had 14 flood alerts in place and one more serious flood warning.

Forecasters said intermittent heavy showers and sunny spells will persist in the coming days.

Scotland could be heading for the wettest August since records began after this month’s heavy rainfall.

Tyndrum in Stirlingshire has been the wettest place in the country so far with 117mm of rain – the Scottish average for August having fallen there already this month. The wettest August since records began 119 years ago was in 1985 when 216.5mm fell in a month.

A Met Office spokesman told The Sunday Post: “We could still see some hefty downpours yet, causing tricky driving conditions.

“Sunny spells and showers are expected over coming days. Conditions are expected to remain unsettled for the next week or so.”

RNLI Lifeguards posted a warning after the downpours caused a number of beaches to be red-flagged due to poor water quality.

The organisation advised members of the public to avoid entering the water ­yesterday following live bathing water quality updates provided by SEPA.

Meanwhile, varied weather conditions meant free sunglasses were handed out yesterday at a major cycling event washed out by the rain just a day earlier.

Participants in the Women’s Tour of Scotland event enjoyed good conditions just 24 hours after storms forced a temporary cancellation.

The 87-mile second stage of the event yesterday saw cyclists race from Glasgow to Perth. The final stage takes place today, starting and ending in Edinburgh.