Woman swept away by floods as she tried to rescue her dog in Aberdeenshire

The hunt for a woman who was swept away as she tried to rescue her dog from a river has continued this morning – after heavy rain battered Scotland yesterday and overnight. 

She was carried away by the River Don near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire on Friday as she tried to rescue the dog at around 3pm. 

Police confirmed emergency services were at the scene but they had to be ‘stood down’ overnight following an assessment of the river conditions and to continue with other tasks. 

Flood warnings in Aberdeenshire have been escalated to ‘severe’ as the north of England and Scotland have been lashed by heavy rain and flooding.

In a statement police Scotland said: ‘Around 3.05pm on Friday, November 18, police were called to the River Don near to Monymusk following a report of concern for a woman in the water.

‘Police and emergency services attended and searches were carried out. Following assessments of the river conditions, the search has been stood down for the evening.

‘Police inquiries are ongoing.’

A woman was carried away by the River Don near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire on Friday as she tried to rescue her dog. Pictured: Flooding at the River Don

Flood warnings in Aberdeenshire have been escalated to ‘severe’ as the north of England and Scotland have been lashed by heavy rain and flooding

A month’s worth of rainfall has hit parts of the east coast of Scotland over the past two days. Pictured: flooding near Ladybank in Fife

This morning there are seven flood warnings in place and 55 flood alerts across the UK

This morning there are seven flood warnings in place and 55 flood alerts across the UK. 

Last night was also the coldest night of Autumn so far, with minimum temperatures of -4.2C in Katesbridge in Ireland. 

Today will see a quieter day in the weather but cloud and rain are set to return in the north tonight.  

Rest centres have been opened in some parts of Aberdeenshire after flood warnings were escalated to severe.

The north east of Scotland has been battered by heavy rain and flooding, with the council warning residents to take steps to protect their properties.

Road maps of closures due to floods have been circulated and rest centres will open in Ballater, Aboyne, Inverurie and Kemnay for those needing help and who are unable to stay in their homes.

Aberdeenshire Council warned that river levels will peak later on Friday. Sandbag points have also been located around the region to protect from flood waters.

Power cuts are also affecting Inverurie, Kintore, Stonehaven, Portlethen and Hatton of Fintray among other locations, with reports of broadband internet being down.

There has also been localised flooding in some parts of Edinburgh, with pictures showing the Crewe Toll roundabout in the west of the city submerged under water.

The Met Office has said more than a month’s worth of rain had fallen in Charr, Aberdeenshire overnight with the total recorded as 140 millimetres.

Train journeys across much of eastern Scotland have also been disrupted.

The East Coast Mainline between Montrose and Laurencekirk is closed due to flooding on the line and no trains are currently running between Dundee and Aberdeen; Aberdeen and Inverness; Perth and Inverness or Inverness and Wick.

ScotRail has urged passengers to check journeys ahead of travel using their app or social media with some passengers being told not to travel.

Police Scotland have warned drivers to plan ahead, be mindful of increased stopping distances and be prepared with warm clothing and sufficient fuel should they be delayed.

On Friday evening, justice secretary and lead minister for resilience, Keith Brown, chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government’s resilience committee.

In York some streets were completely submerged after the River Ouse burst its banks

A river near Inverkeithing burst its banks, causing flooding and the line towards Edinburgh closing

The River Ouse in York has continued to rise overnight, flooding roads and riverside properties after days of rain

A wide view of the River Ouse in York, as the north of England has seen extreme flooding over the past few days

He urged members of the public to ‘take extra care’ if they are out and about and not to attempt to walk or drive through flood water.

‘The Scottish Government’s resilience arrangements have been activated to ensure preparations and appropriate measures are in place, and we will continue to monitor the situation over the course of the weekend,’ Mr Brown added.

‘We are in close contact with resilience partners, local authorities and the emergency services to ensure people in the affected areas receive the latest information, advice and support where needed.’

Vincent Fitzsimons, flood duty manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), said: ‘Heavy and persistent rain overnight has led to significant increases in river levels across the east of Scotland.

‘We have seen almost a month’s worth of rain in some parts already this week and we are expecting around the same again over the course of Friday and Saturday in parts of north east Scotland.

‘The highest risk is to riverside communities in parts of Aberdeenshire and Angus, with Severe Flood Warnings already issued.

‘The worst impacts will occur between early Friday afternoon and early Saturday morning. We are working 24/7 with the Met Office and with information from Sepa’s gauge network to review the flood predictions for these communities and others. This will continue until the risk is over.

‘Sepa is working with emergency response partners in the areas most at risk to help them prepare and to focus support to those communities who need it most.

‘People living and working in affected areas are advised to plan their essential journeys and consider the steps they need to take now to be prepared and to stay safe. They can also keep updated on floodline.sepa.org.uk.’

Hundreds of people were left stranded at Newcastle Station yesterday after flooding in Scotland wreaked travel chaos, with passengers told they might have to wait five hours for replacement buses. 

A month’s worth of rainfall has hit parts of the east coast of Scotland over the past two days, causing railway lines to flood and services to be severely delayed or in many cases cancelled.

Network Rail Scotland said in an update this evening that the East Coast Main Line will be closed for the rest of the day after flooding washed away ballast under the railway at Grantshouse in the Scottish Borders.

In a tweet, Network Rail said some areas have experienced a record amount of rainfall in the past 36 hours, with more than 3.5 inches hitting Laurencekirk in Kincardineshire.

Most rail services to and from Aberdeen were suspended yesterday after lines were flooded while hundreds of homes have also lost power in communities around the city, according to Scottish and Southern Energy Networks’ online tracker.

Dundee and Edinburgh have also seen major road closures due to flooding while Newcastle, Sunderland, Gatehead, and Doncaster are among the places facing travel disruptions to rail networks, metro lines, roads and bus services.

Queues for rail replacement buses in Newcastle stretched hundreds of metres down the street outside the city centre station this afternoon and spiralled around the concourse inside.

Hundreds of people have been left stranded at Newcastle Station after flooding in Scotland wreaked travel chaos

Queues for rail replacement buses in Newcastle stretched hundreds of metres down the street outside the city centre station this afternoon and spiralled around the concourse inside

Network Rail Scotland shared images of the flooding on the tracks at Inverkeithing. A nearby river burst its banks and the line has been forced to close due to flooding

A van was abandoned and submerged in rain water today after torrential rain fell in Bottlesford, Devon last night and into this morning 

A van sinks in East Sussex after the Cuckmere River burst its banks after heavy rain

In a tweet, Network Rail said some areas have experienced a record amount of rainfall in the past 36 hours, with more than 3.5 inches hitting Laurencekirk in Kincardineshire

The Met Office issued an amber weather warning for the north-east of Scotland and a yellow warning for several other regions 

One woman heading for Edinburgh said: ‘This just can’t be happening. I’ve got a health condition and I can’t wait outside like this.’

James Brownhill, from London, said: ‘It’s just chaos. But there’s nothing you can do. If it’s flooded, it’s flooded.

‘I think I’m just going to have to stay in Newcastle tonight.’

Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon warned that areas of Scotland could see homes and businesses flooding even as the rain eases while gusts could blow in excess of 50 knots.

While Saturday will be clear, Sunday sees another front of rain and heavy wind moving in from the West bringing the chance of thunder and lightning, Mr Dixon said.

‘That sets up what is really the theme of the next week which is continued wet and windy weather for much of the UK,’ he added.

Elsewhere, Yorkshire Water said reservoir levels are ‘moving in the right direction’ in the region which is still officially classed as being in a drought.

But Environment Agency data shows that Yorkshire had the same amount of rainfall in September and October than it did over the whole summer with reservoir levels going up 19 per cent in the last six weeks, although still below the expected level for November.

The Met Office’s amber ‘heavy rain alert’, which covers  Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus and Perth and Kinross, was due to be in place until 3pm yesterday but was extended until 9pm due to the rain being ‘a little slower to ease’ than was expected.

A road was waterlogged in Essex with almost 4ft of rain this morning following downpours overnight 

Huge waves crashed into the lighthouse in Roker, Sunderland as storms swept the country

Streets in Perth were awash with flooding as the area was hit by ferocious weather this morning 

Fields in Somerset have been completely flooded as the River Parrett overflowed around the Hamlet of Muchelney, which was cut off for 10 weeks due to flooding in 2014 

Streets were flooded in York this morning after the River Ouse broke its banks following the heavy rain. A yellow weather warning is in place in the region

 Ducks were swimming along roads in York today after parts of the city were submerged by rain following heavy showers 

Floodwater could cause ‘danger to life’ in Scotland

The Met Office has issued an amber warning for rain in Scotland

The Met Office has warned of flooding which could cause a potential ‘danger to life’ in eastern Scotland.

Forecasters issued an amber warning for rain for the eastern part of the country, amid dire warnings six inches of rain could fall in just 24 hours.

Meteorologists warn that ‘heavy and persistent rain’ is likely to cause flooding in Angus and Aberdeenshire until midnight tonight.

The Met Office says homes and businesses are likely to be flooded, while fast flowing and deep floodwater is also expected.

On its website, the service says: ‘Heavy rain within the warning area, beginning on Thursday, and lasting well into Friday, is likely to produce over 100 mm of rain in all, with parts of the Grampians and Cairngorm perhaps seeing upwards of 150 mm. 

‘Rain should ease later Friday, although rivers may continue to run high beyond this.’

Roads across the country have been flooded following heavy rain over the past few days, including in York where some streets were completely submerged after the River Ouse burst its banks.

Authorities said the rain will make driving difficult, with potential for reduced visibility and surface water, and conditions likely to affect travel on both the trunk road and rail network. 

On Friday morning a lane of the M9 westbound was closed at J2 due to flooding, while in Fife the A92 was closed between the Parbroath Crossroads and Melville Lodges due to flooding and in Dunfermline, Halbeath Road was shut with diversions in place. 

There were 20 flood warnings and nine flood alerts in place on Friday morning. 

People living in regions with flood warnings have been urged to plan any journeys and keep themselves safe. Transport minister Jenny Gilruth said: ‘The Met Office is warning us to expect a period of difficult weather in parts of eastern Scotland throughout Friday, with heavy rain likely to impact travel in the amber warning area in the north east. 

‘The conditions could potentially bring disruption to the transport network, so it’s important people plan their journeys before they set off – particularly if they’re looking to use the trunk roads or travel by rail.’  

Met Office spokesman Craig Snell said: ‘The warning areas are where we are most concerned about the risk of flooding, but it doesn’t mean that the areas outside them are not going to see some pretty atrocious conditions.’ 

Forecasters said that some areas of higher ground in the amber warning area could see a month’s worth of rain within a couple of days, with more than 100mm of rain, and even 150mm, possible in parts of the Grampians and Cairngorms. 

Average rainfall for November in Aberdeenshire is 113mm, while for Angus it is 122.8mm, meaning that if these areas do see 150mm of rain, more than a month’s worth of rain will fall in the space of just a couple of days.