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| Scotland faces new flooding as heavy rain continues | Scotland faces new flooding as heavy rain continues |
| (7 months later) | |
| Heavy rain and high winds have battered central and north-east Scotland with homes again threatened by flood waters and some villages in Aberdeenshire remaining cut off after Storm Frank caused damage to transport routes last week. | Heavy rain and high winds have battered central and north-east Scotland with homes again threatened by flood waters and some villages in Aberdeenshire remaining cut off after Storm Frank caused damage to transport routes last week. |
| Local MSPs praised the “huge community spirit” as residents of a sheltered housing complex in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, were evacuated to the village scout hut on Monday afternoon, while the local Asda supermarket supplied food to the makeshift emergency centre. | Local MSPs praised the “huge community spirit” as residents of a sheltered housing complex in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, were evacuated to the village scout hut on Monday afternoon, while the local Asda supermarket supplied food to the makeshift emergency centre. |
| With a relentless downpour throughout the day adding to already swollen rivers, many threatened to burst their banks again, with the Met Office amber “be prepared” warnings for heavy rain in the Grampian, Central, Tayside and Fife areas extended to midnight on Monday. | With a relentless downpour throughout the day adding to already swollen rivers, many threatened to burst their banks again, with the Met Office amber “be prepared” warnings for heavy rain in the Grampian, Central, Tayside and Fife areas extended to midnight on Monday. |
| Earlier in the day, police named the kayaker who died after getting into difficulties on the river Findhorn, near Inverness, last Wednesday, when Storm Frank first hit, as 54-year-old Laurence Henderson from Aberdeenshire. | Earlier in the day, police named the kayaker who died after getting into difficulties on the river Findhorn, near Inverness, last Wednesday, when Storm Frank first hit, as 54-year-old Laurence Henderson from Aberdeenshire. |
| The dead man is believed to have been with a group of experienced kayakers who raised the alarm after he fell into the river and his clothing became snagged on branches. A coastguard search had to be called off as weather conditions worsened and Henderson’s body was recovered from the river at 9am the following day. | The dead man is believed to have been with a group of experienced kayakers who raised the alarm after he fell into the river and his clothing became snagged on branches. A coastguard search had to be called off as weather conditions worsened and Henderson’s body was recovered from the river at 9am the following day. |
| Rail bosses confirmed on Monday that the west coast mainline between Carlisle and Glasgow would be closed until at least February while repairs to the Lamington viaduct, near Lockerbie, were carried out. Alternative routes will involve a replacement bus or diverted train via Dumfries. | Rail bosses confirmed on Monday that the west coast mainline between Carlisle and Glasgow would be closed until at least February while repairs to the Lamington viaduct, near Lockerbie, were carried out. Alternative routes will involve a replacement bus or diverted train via Dumfries. |
| The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) had 35 flood warnings still in place on Monday evening, covering Tayside, Angus, Dundee, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. It has also issued four flood alerts, including one for the Scottish Borders. | The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) had 35 flood warnings still in place on Monday evening, covering Tayside, Angus, Dundee, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. It has also issued four flood alerts, including one for the Scottish Borders. |
| Police warned that riverside homes in Aberdeen would be at risk on Monday night, when the Dee reaches high tide at about 9pm. West of the city, in the village of Ballater, which suffered some of the worst devastation last week, council workers and volunteers have built a huge sandbag barrier. Braemar, still further west into the Cairngorms, is partially cut off while the council liaises with the army to repair the badly damaged Invercauld Bridge. | Police warned that riverside homes in Aberdeen would be at risk on Monday night, when the Dee reaches high tide at about 9pm. West of the city, in the village of Ballater, which suffered some of the worst devastation last week, council workers and volunteers have built a huge sandbag barrier. Braemar, still further west into the Cairngorms, is partially cut off while the council liaises with the army to repair the badly damaged Invercauld Bridge. |
| Abergeldie castle, near Ballater and close to the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, has been left on the brink of collapse after intense flooding. The owner was forced to evacuate the 16th-century Grade A-listed tower house in Aberdeenshire on Sunday after the river Dee swept away about 60ft (18 metres) of land behind the property, leaving it only a few feet from the water. | Abergeldie castle, near Ballater and close to the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, has been left on the brink of collapse after intense flooding. The owner was forced to evacuate the 16th-century Grade A-listed tower house in Aberdeenshire on Sunday after the river Dee swept away about 60ft (18 metres) of land behind the property, leaving it only a few feet from the water. |
| As police urged drivers to follow warnings, a 47-year-old woman was charged with careless driving after emergency services were called to free her from her half-submerged vehicle when she allegedly attempted to drive through 4ft deep flood water in Stobo, near Peebles. | As police urged drivers to follow warnings, a 47-year-old woman was charged with careless driving after emergency services were called to free her from her half-submerged vehicle when she allegedly attempted to drive through 4ft deep flood water in Stobo, near Peebles. |
| While the rain across Scotland is expected to ease through Tuesday, the Met Office forecast another weather front bringing rain from Thursday. | While the rain across Scotland is expected to ease through Tuesday, the Met Office forecast another weather front bringing rain from Thursday. |
| Meanwhile, David Cameron, ministers and the Environment Agency face questioning by MPs and communities in the coming days over their response to flooding across northern England during one of the wettest Decembers on record. | Meanwhile, David Cameron, ministers and the Environment Agency face questioning by MPs and communities in the coming days over their response to flooding across northern England during one of the wettest Decembers on record. |
| Campaigners said the political fallout of the floods would play out this week and next, as the Met Office warned of possible further flooding with more rainfall likely in many areas in the next 48 hours. | Campaigners said the political fallout of the floods would play out this week and next, as the Met Office warned of possible further flooding with more rainfall likely in many areas in the next 48 hours. |
| Next Tuesday, the prime minister is due to be questioned on Syria and climate change by the liaison committee, with flooding likely to be on the agenda along with the recent Paris climate agreement. Officials rank flooding as the UK’s number one threat from climate change and Cameron has been accused of ignoring flood warnings from his climate advisers. | Next Tuesday, the prime minister is due to be questioned on Syria and climate change by the liaison committee, with flooding likely to be on the agenda along with the recent Paris climate agreement. Officials rank flooding as the UK’s number one threat from climate change and Cameron has been accused of ignoring flood warnings from his climate advisers. |
| The Environment Agency’s chief executive, James Bevan, and its chairman, Philip Dilley, will be questioned by the same committee this Wednesday. Dilley is likely to be asked about criticism that he was holidaying in Barbados while some of the worst flooding was occurring and the agency’s initial refusal to comment on his whereabouts. | The Environment Agency’s chief executive, James Bevan, and its chairman, Philip Dilley, will be questioned by the same committee this Wednesday. Dilley is likely to be asked about criticism that he was holidaying in Barbados while some of the worst flooding was occurring and the agency’s initial refusal to comment on his whereabouts. |
| A spokeswoman for Kerry McCarthy, the shadow environment secretary, said the government’s response so far had not been commensurate with the scale of the threat from climate change and flooding. She said: “It appears to be very piecemeal and reactive, rather than looking at the problem as a whole.” | A spokeswoman for Kerry McCarthy, the shadow environment secretary, said the government’s response so far had not been commensurate with the scale of the threat from climate change and flooding. She said: “It appears to be very piecemeal and reactive, rather than looking at the problem as a whole.” |
| Oliver Letwin is chairing a new flood resilience review, which is due to report in the summer, although the MP came under fire over the weekend for sitting on a previous report following the extraordinary floods of early 2014. | Oliver Letwin is chairing a new flood resilience review, which is due to report in the summer, although the MP came under fire over the weekend for sitting on a previous report following the extraordinary floods of early 2014. |
| “This week will be a crucial test of whether Westminster really understands the flooding that’s devastated the country,” said Guy Shrubsole, a campaigner at Friends of the Earth. | “This week will be a crucial test of whether Westminster really understands the flooding that’s devastated the country,” said Guy Shrubsole, a campaigner at Friends of the Earth. |
| “The prime minister has serious questions to answer about previous warnings that climate change will push up flood risk. He must realise that cuts to flood defence spending are a false economy.” | “The prime minister has serious questions to answer about previous warnings that climate change will push up flood risk. He must realise that cuts to flood defence spending are a false economy.” |
| The Environment Agency has 30 flood warnings in place and 168 flood alerts across large swaths of England and Wales. The Met Office issued yellow “be aware” warnings on Monday for south-west and south-east England and warned people to be alert to the risk of surface flooding in those areas. | The Environment Agency has 30 flood warnings in place and 168 flood alerts across large swaths of England and Wales. The Met Office issued yellow “be aware” warnings on Monday for south-west and south-east England and warned people to be alert to the risk of surface flooding in those areas. |
| A spokesman said that on the western sides of Dartmoor and Exmoor, and possibly Bodmin moor, rainfall could be up to 40mm compared with an average of about 20mm across the south-west. He said the main problem in the south-west was that the ground was already saturated after prolonged rainfall, making the risk of surface flooding more likely. | A spokesman said that on the western sides of Dartmoor and Exmoor, and possibly Bodmin moor, rainfall could be up to 40mm compared with an average of about 20mm across the south-west. He said the main problem in the south-west was that the ground was already saturated after prolonged rainfall, making the risk of surface flooding more likely. |
| On Thursday, campaigners at the National Flood Forum will meet with Rory Stewart, under secretary of state for environment and rural affairs, to discuss insurance along with other issues facing flood-hit communities. | On Thursday, campaigners at the National Flood Forum will meet with Rory Stewart, under secretary of state for environment and rural affairs, to discuss insurance along with other issues facing flood-hit communities. |