Scotland hit by heavy rain and flooding with record water levels

Flood water inundated the streets of Aboyne earlier this week after more heavy rain in Scotland. Source: Mark Runnacles/Getty Images

Heavy rains last night have caused extensive flooding in parts of Scotland, with Aberdeen worst affected. People have been evacuated from their homes as emergency services respond to the continued deluge of rainfall in Aberdeenshire experienced since Storm Frank hit late December.

The flooding has caused major travel disruption, with Aberdeen International Airport and several train services badly affected.The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has issued two severe flood warnings, meaning danger to life.

In Aberdeenshire, Richard Brown, head of hydrology for the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), said water levels around the River Don were “pretty exceptional”. Reporting to the media, he said: “We have had a gauging station up at Alford for the last 42 years and it has exceeded anything we have ever recorded.”

The floods extend a period of remarkable rainfall which saw the wettest December in a century, as over 16,000 homes were flooded in England.