Extreme weather causes landslides, hits rail network, and carries hay bales out to sea
Much of west and central Scotland was hit by relentless rain on Saturday
Last updated 7th Oct 2023
Ten people were airlifted to safety from a flooded road in Argyll and Bute by a rescue helicopter amid a "danger to life" warning in Scotland.
The coastguard helicopter from Prestwick was called into action on the A83 near Inverary at around 9.30am on Saturday, with no reports of any injuries.
The Met Office issued an amber weather warning for much of Scotland, and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency warned against perceiving the situation as "normal autumn".
Shocking photos showed the water level at Dalmuir in West Dunbartonshire, which was said to be the same height as a train window.
The M9 motorway near Stirling was "barely passable", with lanes closed due to flooding.
ScotRail also cancelled trains across the country.
The A83 at Butterbridge, Argyll and Bute, north of Rest and Be Thankful, was badly impacted, along with Cairndow A83/A815 Dunoon junction.
An inspection was planned for Sunday once bad weather passed, and debris was swept into the road at A86 Roybridge, in the Highlands, east of Spean Bridge.
A post on X, formerly Twitter, from Police Scotland, said: "Drivers should avoid travelling in the Argyll and Bute area due to significant disruption."
Dramatic footage shot by Niall Shaw near Inverary also showed dozens of hay bales being swept into the River Aray by floodwater.
Network Rail Scotland shared a photo of Dalmuir Twin Tunnels.
A post said: "As you can see, the water level is massive - it's up to around the window level on a train. The fixed pumps here have been completely overwhelmed by the extreme rainfall. It'll take time for this to clear once the rain stops."
Vincent Fitzsimmons, Sepa's flood duty manager, said: "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.”
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