Hundreds of people were assessing flood damage to their homes yesterday as water began to recede and the torrential rain that battered Scotland for days eased.
Hundreds of people were assessing flood damage to their homes yesterday as water began to recede and the torrential rain that battered Scotland for days eased.
Fife was the region worst affected by the weather as burns burst their banks, flooding homes and closing many minor roads.
The environmental charity WWF Scotland warned that the increased incidence of flooding is a symptom of global climate change and will occur even more frequently in the future as temperatures continue to rise.
Every Fife Fire and Rescue firefighter on duty over the weekend was called out in response to weather-related problems.
A spokeswoman said the service received about 120 calls in the nine hours from 7.30pm on Saturday to 4.30am yesterday. Many of the calls involved homes flooded when streams burst their banks.
The A92 near Kilmany, north of Cupar remained closed last night after being covered with mud and stones and a 20ft wall in Kings Crescent in Rosyth collapsed.
The spokeswoman said: "There have been no major evacuations, but a lot of people's homes have been flooded."
A spokesman for Fife Constabulary said that "numerous" small roads were closed because of the flooding. In some cases people abandoned their cars.
But the police spokesman added: "Fortunately no-one has been injured in any of the incidents."
Although Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen were affected by the torrential rain, the downpours in Fife were heaviest and 32mm, or 1.25in, fell at Leuchars in a few hours from Saturday night to Sunday morning.
In some parts of the Borders, 15mm of rain fell in three hours.
Michael Russell, the Environment Minister, said the Scottish Government was monitoring the situation in Fife. He said: The Scottish Government is in touch with the relevant local agencies in Fife and will continue to monitor the situation closely. I have asked officials to keep me fully informed."
With more - but more scattered - rain forecast for the next few days, he urged people to "keep a close eye" on the flood warnings on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency website.
Sporting fixtures across the country were disrupted by the weather.
Saturday's matches in the Scottish National Cricket League were abandoned and yesterday's Scottish Cup semi-finals have been rescheduled for next Sunday.
In Glasgow, Scotland's Intercontinental Cup encounter with Kenya was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
The Standard Life Amateur Champion Gold Medal golfing event at Leven Links in Fife, the world's oldest amateur stroke play competition, was delayed.
Football was unaffected.
The tug-o'-war at the Mey Highland Games in Caithness, normally started by Prince Charles, was abandoned but he and his wife, the Duchess of Rothesay, braved the weather to visit the event.
