Flood warnings remain as rain and winds batter Scotland
Warnings of high river levels and large coastal waves remain in place as persistent rain and strong winds continue to batter parts of Scotland.
Warnings of high river levels and large coastal waves remain in place as persistent rain and strong winds continue to batter parts of Scotland.
The Met Office issued a three-day amber ''be prepared'' warning on Saturday for heavy rain in the Grampian, Central, Tayside and Fife areas, in force until Monday night.
It said parts of north-east Scotland could experience offshore waves of up to nine metres - taller than two double-decker buses.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has dozens of flood warnings in place, the majority of which are in Tayside, and three flood alerts.
The warnings follow severe flooding caused by Storm Frank last week, which left many stranded, in temporary accommodation or without electricity.
Forecasters said the weather is not as bad as that experienced during Storm Frank but warnings are in place due to already saturated land and high river levels caused by recent storms.
Vincent Fitzsimons, Sepa's hydrology duty manager, said: '''Rivers have been rising since Saturday and flood warnings have been issued. It's important to note that the rain is less intense but more prolonged than during Storm Frank.
''This means that rivers will rise more slowly but then stay high for much longer - from Sunday through till Tuesday. The peak for most areas will be on Sunday night and Monday morning.''
Mr Fitzsimons said river levels in the north-east were of most concern, including those around Kintore, Inverurie, Brechin and Aberdeen, but the agency was also keeping a close eye on communities in the Borders and Caithness.
The Met Office said: ''Over the period ending late Monday, many areas look like receiving a further 40-80 mm of rain, with some of the high ground receiving 100-150 mm - this in addition to that which has fallen over the previous 24 hours.
''However, this looks like being fairly evenly spread out, which should slightly ease the resulting impacts.
''Given the saturated nature of the ground, there is a greater risk of surface water and river flooding than might normally be expected.''
A number of roads remain closed in Perthshire, Angus and Aberdeenshire while others have been affected by surface water.
Police Scotland Aberdeen Chief Inspector Richard Craig said: It is vital that motorists adhere to road closure signs as these are there to protect the public.
A number of roads have suffered structural damage and ignoring the closures is reckless and irresponsible and puts you at risk as well as the emergency services.
We are also advising the public to stay away from flooded areas and river banks as water levels are expected to rise again as the rain continues over the next few days. River banks are also likely to be unstable due to the high levels of water and continued rain.''
Much of the country was battered by last Wednesday's heavy rain and gale-force winds.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon praised the ''heroic'' response to the destruction from the emergency services and volunteers, while the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall met locals in flood-hit Ballater, near to
Balmoral Castle, the Queen's summer residence. Two people died in separate incidents in Scottish rivers when the Storm Frank hit, with the body of a kayaker recovered from the River Findhorn in Moray and a canoeist drowning in the River Garry, near the village of Invergarry.
The Scottish Government's resilience committee met over the weekend to assess the flooding situation.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: ''People will be returning to work in the coming days and all services are working together to make sure the unusually high levels of rain that we are seeing cause as little disruption as possible.
''Although the current conditions are not as serious as Storm Frank, all of our partners are vigilant to the on-going risks.