PARTS of Scotland remain at risk from flooding as the clean-up operation following a weekend of extreme rainfall continues.
Two severe flood warnings were in place in Aviemore/Dalfaber and Perth on Monday morning while 52 flood warnings and eight flood alerts were in place elsewhere around Scotland.
Heavy rain caused flooding and led to a number of road closures and train cancellations.
ScotRail provided an update to train users on Monday morning as services still remain disrupted even though the rain has eased.
The Met Office weather warnings for heavy rain which were in place over the weekend have now lifted but a yellow warning of heavy rainfall in western parts of the country has been issued for Tuesday.
Police Scotland said communities “faced some of the most challenging conditions ever” over the weekend, with 10 motorists airlifted to safety on Saturday due to landslides on the A83 in Argyll and Bute, which dislodged 2000 tonnes of debris. Another four were airlifted in Kilmartin, Argyll and Bute.
Ruth Ellis, Scottish Environment Protection Agency flood duty manager, said: “It’s been a difficult weekend across Scotland, with severe weather causing widespread travel disruption to road and rail networks, and impacts in communities all over Scotland.
“Across many areas of the country there is still some deep-standing water and it’s really important people understand the danger. Hazards can be hidden, so please don’t walk or drive into flood water.
“Remember that not only is flood water likely to be dirty, 30cm of fast-flowing water can move an average family-sized car, and just 15cm of fast-flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet.
“Our teams have been working around the clock with partner agencies, including Scottish Government, the Met Office, emergency services and local authorities, across this major weather event.”
The challenges posed by the flooding has been compared to those faced during the Beast from the East period of cold weather in 2018.
Stein Connelly, head of transport resilience at Transport Scotland, said: “It’s been an extremely challenging 72 hours, with perhaps some of most difficult conditions we’ve experienced since the Beast from the East.
“In terms of Argyll, the area around the A83 Rest and Be Thankful saw a month’s worth of rainfall, around 160mm, fall over 36 hours.
“Only a small amount of debris has reached the road at the Rest and Be Thankful itself.
“Safety inspections are now underway and teams are on-site to begin clear-up operations once it is deemed safe to do so.”
Elsewhere, work is underway to clear other roads affected by flooding.
The Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) met on Sunday to discuss and plan the response to the situation.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance (below), who chaired the meeting, said multi-agency response teams stand ready and prepared to respond to any flooding incidents.
She said: “The rainfall we have seen over Scotland this weekend has been extreme, causing significant disruption – particularly in the west and north of the country.
“These impacts are ongoing and I want to put on record my thanks to all the staff and volunteers responding across the country.”
