Woman seen in river in Aberdeenshire on Friday after heavy rain and winds hit Scotland and north-east England
A search has resumed for a woman who was reported swept into the River Don in Aberdeenshire after heavy rain and winds hit eastern Scotland and north-east England.
Police Scotland and HM Coastguard resumed their search on Saturday morning near Monymusk after reports of someone getting into difficulty in the river on Friday.
It is understood she had been attempting to rescue a dog when she got into difficulty. The search had to be stood down on Friday night, but has now started again.
Insp Rory Campbell from Police Scotland said: “Officers, along with colleagues from the Scottish fire and rescue service and the coastguard, have resumed searches in the area where the woman was last seen.
“Conditions are tricky and dangerous and I am appealing to members of the public to stay away from flooded areas. Please be careful when you are out and about.”
Elsewhere, power cuts, rail delays and flooding continue, with a weather warning for more rain on Sunday.
Among those evacuated from their homes on Friday were people in Brechin, Angus, and others at a caravan park in Ballater, Aberdeenshire.
Police officers visited homes in Kintore, Aberdeenshire, to carry out a “warn and inform” exercise, telling residents that the River Don would remain high throughout the day.
There was localised flooding in some parts of Edinburgh, with pictures showing the Crewe Toll roundabout in the north-west of the city submerged.
Severe flood warnings remained in place for parts of Aberdeenshire, Dundee and Angus on Saturday morning. Flood alerts were still active in Tayside; Central; Edinburgh and Lothians; Fife; Findhorn, Nairn and Moray; and the Scottish Borders.
Power cuts also affected Aberdeenshire areas including Inverurie, Kintore, Stonehaven, Portlethen and Hatton of Fintray, as the Met Office said more than a month’s rain had fallen in Charr, also in Aberdeenshire, with the total recorded as 140mm.
The Met Office has a yellow weather warning for rain for part of Aberdeenshire on Sunday.
Some rail services are beginning to return, with the first train set to run between Aberdeen and Inverness just before midday on Saturday and others back in service – though Network Rail Scotland said it was working to repair any issues.
The routes from Aberdeen to Dundee, and from Inverness to Wick and Thurso, are still yet to reopen.
On Friday evening, the justice secretary and lead minister for resilience, Keith Brown, chaired a meeting of the Scottish government’s resilience committee.
He said: “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.
“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.”
Source: The Guardian
