People living in flood-hit areas following the weekend's torrential rain have been warned to expect the worst as high waters remain despite the weekend’s rain easing.
A severe flood warning – the highest category - has been issued for the Aviemore area of the Highlands with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) saying flooding is expected to affect properties and businesses around the village of Dalfaber.
Pictures from nearby Kingussie show the Dell sports field completely submerged in water, while high water levels of the River Dulnain at Carrbridge are causing concern among residents.
Meanwhile ScotRail has warned customers that services will remain disrupted throughout Sunday following the extreme weather event which hit much of Scotland on Saturday.
An amber alert for severe rain has now passed, but a yellow warning remains in place until later on Sunday afternoon.
High waters and swollen rivers have been left behind in the wake of the downpours, while a clean-up operation on roads closed by landslides and sunken rail routes is not expected to be completed for several days.
READ MORE: Amber alert in place on Sunday with 'danger to life'
Health protection experts urged people to be extra careful if floodwater had entered their homes as there could be "significant health risks" to certain groups such as pregnant women, children, the elderly and those living with heart and lung conditions.
Trunk roads closed across Scotland include the A84 between Kilmahog and Strathyre, A92 at Letham, A83 between Tarbet and Inveraray, A828 between Connel and Ballachulish, A85 at Loch Awe.
Repair works and safety inspections are underway across the rail network after some areas saw up to a month’s worth of rain in a 24-hour period.
Flooding remains an ongoing issue across large areas of Scotland, particularly in the north, with water levels continuing to rise on the Spey and elsewhere.
Saturday’s rain resulted in many trains and staff being left out of place because emergency cancellations and speed restrictions.
READ MORE: Don't travel warning after landslides on the A83 at Rest and be Thankful
Services on several routes will remain completely closed on Sunday with normal service scheduled to resume on Monday morning.
These include; the West Highland Line between Glasgow and Oban/Fort William, all services between Edinburgh and Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, and Inverness, all services between Glasgow and Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, and Inverness and all services between Kyle of Lochalsh and Inverness.
ScotRail is advising customers not to travel as no rail replacement travel is available.
This is the track damage we’re dealing with north of Gleneagles (between Dunblane and Perth). Unfortunately, this won’t be an overnight fix. We’ve begun work on a recovery plan and we’ll update you as soon as we can. @ScotRail @CalSleeper @LNER @DRSgovukhttps://t.co/0XQQcIetFI pic.twitter.com/sAF6yXSlxc
— Network Rail Scotland (@NetworkRailSCOT) October 8, 2023
Some other routes remain affected by speed restrictions as a safety precaution, meaning services may be subject to delay or cancellation.
While the operator is optimistic about restoring normal services on Monday, Network Rail safety teams must wait until flood waters subside to inspect bridges.
The greatest risk to a normal restart on Monday is on the Highland Main Line and the Perthshire areas, where floodwaters remain high.
Passengers whose Monday journey runs between Perth and Inverness or Perth and Stirling are urged check before leaving home tomorrow.
Customers are advised that they should travel only when necessary on Sunday, to expect delays, and to regularly check their journey before travelling on the ScotRail website, app, or social media feeds for live updates.
We’ve closed the line between Dunblane and Perth due to high water levels at the Earn viaduct. We’ll need to inspect it before reopening, but our team can’t get near right now as all roads to and from are flooded too. More soon. @ScotRail @TrafficScotland @SEPAFlood pic.twitter.com/otrJfFzpyV
— Network Rail Scotland (@NetworkRailSCOT) October 8, 2023
David Simpson, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said: “The weather we have seen over the weekend has been extreme and in some parts of the country we are continuing to see dangerous levels of rainfall and flooding.
“We appreciate that weather related disruption like this can be frustrating, but our first priority has to be the safety of the public and our colleagues.
“Our staff across the country, alongside colleagues at Network Rail, are working hard to get services back to normal as quickly and safely as possible, with the priority being getting things back to normal for Monday morning.
“Customers are advised that they should check their journey before travelling, and keep an eye on our website, app, or social media feeds for live updates.”
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