Homes evacuated and cars stranded amid flooding chaos

Residents have been evacuated from flooded homes and cars stranded in water as parts of Scotland were hit by a severe downpour overnight.

The Met Office issued a yellow warning from north of Dundee to Fraserburgh, while a separate caution was made for areas surrounding Inverness and Elgin.

Forres: A cemetery flooded with water. Email

The rainfall caused travel disruption, with a build-up of surface water on key roads – including the A96 Elgin to Brodie and A90 Toll of Birness in Aberdeenshire.

The A92 between Arbroath and Montrose has been closed until Friday after flooding saw three cars become stuck in water around 4.10am. Police said the fire service went to the scene and there were no reports of any injuries.

Drivers have been urged to “take care” in affected areas and be wary of “hazardous conditions”.

ROADS UPDATE – the B965 and B9113 in Angus which had been closed due to flooding have been reopened. The A92 between Montrose and Arbroath remains CLOSED and this will probably be the case until tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/wEfuE5dv7l
— Tayside Police (@TaysidePolice) October 22, 2020

A statement earlier on Thursday said: “We are currently receiving various reports of weather related incidents with various roads blocked by flooding.

“Please leave extra time for your journey and plan ahead, consider if your trip is necessary and drive with extreme caution.”

Bus and train journeys have been affected, while spray and flooding on roads will mean a longer commute for some.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to reports of flooding in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, from around 4.50am onwards.

Several appliances were sent to the scene and residents were rescued from six properties.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has five flood alerts and seven warnings in place. The alerts cover Tayside, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen city, Dundee and Angus and Easter Ross and Great Glen.