AT least 40 residents were rescued after waist-high flood water hit the Aberdeenshire town of Stonehaven.

It is estimated 100 properties were searched by the fire service after the Carron Water burst its banks.

The town was one of the worst-affected areas as Scotland experienced a deluge of heavy rain over the weekend and environment protection agency Sepa issued a total of 31 flood warnings and 18 flood alerts.