Scotland Weather: Flood warning as storms continue

SUMMER storms are continuing to bring disruption across Scotland with play suspended at the Open Championship due to high winds.

A woman walks her dog in Alyth, Scotland, passed the severe damage caused by yesterday's flooding. Picture: Getty

Flash-flooding left hundreds of homes without power in Perthshire yesterday, with dozens of properties in the village of Alyth evacuated and several motorists rescued from their vehicles as water rushed down the streets.

However, only one major flood warning remains in place from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), covering the River Earn, south of Perth, with rain expected to continue until this afternoon. Alerts are also in place for Aberdeenshire and the west of Scotland.

Play was suspended for a second time at the 144th Open Championship in St Andrews, Fife, this morning with gusts of 45mph recorded on the course.

People begin the cleanup following heavy rain which has caused flooding in Alyth. Picture: Getty

Yesterday, heavy rain halted play meaning some of the world’s best golfers remained on the course until almost 10pm on Friday and still to complete their second round.

Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution said it was working to reconnect customers who had lost power, with more than 750 homes in Alyth cut off at the peak of the problems.

A company spokesman said a bridge over the Alyth Burn that carried cables was washed away.

The Met Office has issued yellow “be aware” warnings for rain in Perth and Kinross and Stirling regions and much of western Scotland today.The persistent and sometimes heavy rain is expected to be accompanied by strong winds and the warning is valid until around 1pm, the Met Office said.

A spokesman said: “The rain will be accompanied by strong west or south-westerly winds, with gales especially along some exposed coasts this evening and for a time overnight. Gusts of wind may exceed 55mph there, but more widely 35 to 45mph inland.

“The public should be aware of possible minor impacts to transport and travel, resulting from either wind or rain, the latter not helped by the fact that the ground is saturated.”

Richard Brown, head of hydrology at Sepa, urged people to remain vigilant.

He said: “A further band of rain is due to affect areas of Ayrshire, Argyll and Bute, Glasgow and west central Scotland, with the most intense, prolonged showers expected on Saturday morning.

“Skye and Lochaber are expected to experience significant rainfall totals overnight and throughout Saturday, with over 80mm of rain forecast.

“Again, surface water flooding has the potential to cause widespread disruption on road networks and urban areas, while river levels are likely to respond quickly, with some minor disruption possible in rural areas.

“Whilst large waves are expected along the west coast, particularly around the Inner Hebrides, the risk of coastal flooding remains very low.”