Heavy rain and thunderstorms cause travel chaos in Scotland
12 August 2020, 08:13
Roads flooded in Edinburgh as thunderstorm warnings remain in place
Heavy rain and thunderstorms have caused travel disruption and flooding in several parts of Scotland.
Rail passengers and motorists were facing disruption due to the conditions on Wednesday morning.
ScotRail tweeted that due to "extremely heavy rain" and flooding on the railway, services across the country will be delayed or cancelled.
Passengers were advised to check before travelling and consider alternative transport where possible.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to multiple reports of flooding in the Perthshire area with many domestic properties affected.
Perth and Kinross Council said there were several roads impassable in the area due to flooding.
Scottish roads have been closed following huge thunderstorms
At 7am, the council tweeted that Feus Road/Marshall Place/Wallace Crescent/Crammond Place/Crieff Road/Glasgow Road and A912 at Bogle Bridge were affected while surface water was causing problems in many other areas.
Pictures posted on social media showed cars half-submerged in floodwater in streets in Perth.
The M8 motorway is closed in both directions due to the severe flooding, with travel bosses saying they have "no idea" when it will open again.
In Fife, a landslide caused the closure of the A921 between Kinghorn and Burntisland.
Police urged motorists to use an alternative route.
Several on going incidents in and around Perth with flooding at the moment, several roads that are impassable.
— Perth & Kinross Council (@PerthandKinross) August 12, 2020
Feus Road/Marshall Place/Wallace Crescent/Crammond Place/Crieff Road / Glasgow Road and A912 at Bogle Bridge. Many other locations where surface water causing problems.
This is an image from Platform 4 at Perth Station this morning. Given the significant rain water which has fallen across the country the rail network is experiencing significant disruption. Please check rail information prior to travel and leave additional time for your journey! pic.twitter.com/qWORwu9x7e
— BTP North Scotland (@BTPNorthScot) August 12, 2020
NEW: Due to very heavy rain flooding the railway at Hartwood, the line is currently closed. Train services between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh via Shotts will be suspended. pic.twitter.com/MONzmQG2CQ
— ScotRail (@ScotRail) August 12, 2020
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning of thunderstorms for the eastern half of Scotland which is in force until midnight on Wednesday.
It warned that some places are likely to see "further severe thunderstorms", but with "significant uncertainty in location and timing".
The warning covers Central, Tayside and Fife, Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Falkirk, Fife, Perth and Kinross and Stirling.
Many flights due to land in Edinburgh are currently being diverted to Glasgow or Prestwick due to the huge thunderstorm.
The Met Office said there is still a risk of flooding throughout the day, especially in East Scotland.
Many schools in Scotland opened for the first time in months yesterday, however, last night's storms have caused disruption for many pupils, particularly around Fife.
