Summer? It seems like distant memory

Published on 01/11/2009 21:13

SCOTLAND'S Indian summer came to dramatic end yesterday as rain, floods and gales resulted in road closures, rail cancellations and forced residents from their homes.

The Met Office issued weather warnings for areas across the country as parts of central and southern Scotland were forecast to be deluged by up to 50mm of rain and the big match of the day, between Dundee Utd and Rangers, was abandoned.

Some 50 people had to leave their homes in the Cameron Street area of Stonehaven due to heavy flooding. They were put up in the Town Hall.

Grampian Police also said there were no trains running north of Arbroath due to flooding on the line. They advised people not to travel unless absolutely necessary.

Elsewhere, Forth Coastguards said they had evacuated serval homes near the Kinness Fry Bar on Bridge Street, St Andrews and Fife Police said several homes in the village of East Wemyss, near Kirkcaldy, had also been evacuated due to the flooding.

A spokesman said: "It's a precautionary measure but a few of the houses have had small floods – the water from the hills is running into the village."

Fife Council reported 12 road closures in the area. Forces in Tayside and Central Scotland were also being inundated with reports of flooding.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency issued ten flood warnings in the Angus and Perthshire areas. A severe warning was in place with regard to the River Isla from Bridge of Ruthven to the River Tay.

The Premier League match between Dundee United and Rangers was abandoned at half-time with Rangers leading 1-0.

Rangers manager Walter Smith and United boss Craig Levein both backed referee Mike Tumilty's decision.

Walter Smith said: "I thought there was a possibility it would be called off when I watched from the stand in the first half. The water was starting to gather and I thought it would be a decision the referee would have to take. I don't think it would have been justified to put the game off at the start."

Rail services were suspended between Dundee and Aberdeen, while passengers travelling between Dundee and Edinburgh were diverted via Stirling because of the rain.

Police and fire services were kept busy by calls to flooded roads, mostly in the Fife and Tayside areas.

About 32mm of rain fell in the Edinburgh area and 25mm in Glasgow.

There was a noticeable temperature drop as well, from Saturday's averages of 15C-18C to expected colder daytime temperatures of between 10C and 13C today.

The Met Office said the change was a result of a deep low pressure centre moving from the Irish Sea to the north-east of Scotland.

Roads including the High Street in Carnoustie and the A92 around Montrose were among those most seriously affected.

Flood warnings were in place for the Water of Leith in Edinburgh, the River Lyon in Tayside, the River Earn from Comrie to Crieff and from downstream of Crieff to Bridge of Earn, Jed Water in the Borders, the River Tummel downstream of the Pitlochry dam to Ballinluig, and the River Isla from Bridge of Ruthven to the River Tay.

FORECAST

HEAVY rain this morning is forecast to give way to sunny intervals and scattered showers, mainly in the west with more rain reaching western parts later. The rest of the week will remain unsettled with sunny intervals and blustery showers or longer periods of rain, some heavy in the north and west.