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| Scotland main victim of latest deluge but Storm Frank recedes | Scotland main victim of latest deluge but Storm Frank recedes |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Dozens of flood warnings remain across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England after Storm Frank left a trail of destruction. | Dozens of flood warnings remain across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England after Storm Frank left a trail of destruction. |
| More than 60 flood warnings, two severe, were in place in Scotland, which bore the brunt of the latest deluge as many homes were evacuated and hundreds of people were left without power. | More than 60 flood warnings, two severe, were in place in Scotland, which bore the brunt of the latest deluge as many homes were evacuated and hundreds of people were left without power. |
| Across the UK, from Bideford in Devon to Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands, there were 143 flood alerts and 95 flood warnings in place on Thursday, with two classed as severe, meaning there is a risk to life. | Across the UK, from Bideford in Devon to Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands, there were 143 flood alerts and 95 flood warnings in place on Thursday, with two classed as severe, meaning there is a risk to life. |
| Related: Experts criticise George Osborne over flood protection funding | Related: Experts criticise George Osborne over flood protection funding |
| However, the Met Office removed its remaining severe weather warnings overnight on Wednesday, meaning the worst of Storm Frank should have passed. | However, the Met Office removed its remaining severe weather warnings overnight on Wednesday, meaning the worst of Storm Frank should have passed. |
| Greg Dewhurst, a Met Office spokesman, said on Thursday morning: “[Storm Frank has] pretty much gone now. At 3am it left the UK and left just showers coming in from the west.” | Greg Dewhurst, a Met Office spokesman, said on Thursday morning: “[Storm Frank has] pretty much gone now. At 3am it left the UK and left just showers coming in from the west.” |
| A band of heavy, thundery showers is expected to sweep eastwards across the UK on Thursday, potentially hampering efforts to shore up flood defences across northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. | A band of heavy, thundery showers is expected to sweep eastwards across the UK on Thursday, potentially hampering efforts to shore up flood defences across northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. |
| Forecasters say the fresh rainfall is unlikely to have a major impact on already beleaguered homes. | Forecasters say the fresh rainfall is unlikely to have a major impact on already beleaguered homes. |
| “As that squally band of showers goes through, people will notice it, but it shouldn’t last too long and it will stay dry for most of us,” Dewhurst said. | “As that squally band of showers goes through, people will notice it, but it shouldn’t last too long and it will stay dry for most of us,” Dewhurst said. |
| “The rain cleared during the early hours. Even though there could be flooding issues around the country, they will be from river responses [rivers swelling from rainfall over the past 48 hours] rather than further rainfall. But it’s moving through pretty quickly and the showers should be fairly short lived.” | “The rain cleared during the early hours. Even though there could be flooding issues around the country, they will be from river responses [rivers swelling from rainfall over the past 48 hours] rather than further rainfall. But it’s moving through pretty quickly and the showers should be fairly short lived.” |
| The showers are expected to die out in north-west England into Thursday evening before a fresh band of rain arrives on New Year’s Day. Flood-hit homes in northern England may breathe a sigh of relief after the Environment Agency removed any severe weather warnings for the area, although scores of flood alerts remain in place centred on the river Ouse in York. | The showers are expected to die out in north-west England into Thursday evening before a fresh band of rain arrives on New Year’s Day. Flood-hit homes in northern England may breathe a sigh of relief after the Environment Agency removed any severe weather warnings for the area, although scores of flood alerts remain in place centred on the river Ouse in York. |
| The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is to meet the agency’s emergency response team in York on Thursday morning. He is expected to ask why it has not deployed state-of-the art pumps, which were tested in September. | The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is to meet the agency’s emergency response team in York on Thursday morning. He is expected to ask why it has not deployed state-of-the art pumps, which were tested in September. |
| The agency bought 10 high-volume pumps capable of pumping one cubic metre a second. The pumps, which are stored at a depot in Bridgwater, Somerset, were successfully tested months ago, according to agency documents. | The agency bought 10 high-volume pumps capable of pumping one cubic metre a second. The pumps, which are stored at a depot in Bridgwater, Somerset, were successfully tested months ago, according to agency documents. |
| An Environment Agency spokesman said 30 additional pumps had been sent to the affected area, but the remaining new pumps were in different parts of the country. | An Environment Agency spokesman said 30 additional pumps had been sent to the affected area, but the remaining new pumps were in different parts of the country. |
| About 100 people spend the night in temporary accommodation after the river Dee in Aberdeenshire burst its banks late on Wednesday. As the river reached the highest level since 1928, residents on Riverside Drive and a nearby sheltered accommodation building were evacuated and a makeshift rest centre was opened at a hotel. | About 100 people spend the night in temporary accommodation after the river Dee in Aberdeenshire burst its banks late on Wednesday. As the river reached the highest level since 1928, residents on Riverside Drive and a nearby sheltered accommodation building were evacuated and a makeshift rest centre was opened at a hotel. |
| About 100 people spent the night in a military barracks after the river also flooded in Ballater, east of the city. Local people helped make beds and open the kitchens to provide hot drinks and food for the evecuees. | About 100 people spent the night in a military barracks after the river also flooded in Ballater, east of the city. Local people helped make beds and open the kitchens to provide hot drinks and food for the evecuees. |
| Speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland from Victoria Barracks, Billy Begg described the speed with which the river burst its banks and flooded his home. “It was like a flash flood. The water was rising so quickly,” he said. “The firemen knocked on our door and threw a harness on to me and said ‘we’ve got to get you out’.” | Speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland from Victoria Barracks, Billy Begg described the speed with which the river burst its banks and flooded his home. “It was like a flash flood. The water was rising so quickly,” he said. “The firemen knocked on our door and threw a harness on to me and said ‘we’ve got to get you out’.” |
| Begg said he and his wife had not had time to save anything from their home. “I just have what I’m standing in. I’m still in my slippers.” | Begg said he and his wife had not had time to save anything from their home. “I just have what I’m standing in. I’m still in my slippers.” |
| According to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, 64 flood warnings were in place on Wednesday morning, two of them severe around the river Tweed in Peebles and the Whitesands area of Dumfries. | According to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, 64 flood warnings were in place on Wednesday morning, two of them severe around the river Tweed in Peebles and the Whitesands area of Dumfries. |
| Speaking to GMS, the Scottish environment minister, Aileen McLeod, said that although Wednesday was an extremely tough day, she had “not received any indication that Scotland’s flood defences were overwhelmed in the way that they were in England”. She added that the introduction of a new national flood risk assessment scheme meant a national picture existed for the first time. | |
| The Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is to visit the south of Scotland to assess the damage in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders. | The Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is to visit the south of Scotland to assess the damage in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders. |
| Heading to south of Scotland this morning to see for myself some of the damage caused by #StormFrank & thank those working 24/7 to respond. | Heading to south of Scotland this morning to see for myself some of the damage caused by #StormFrank & thank those working 24/7 to respond. |