Flash flooding and torrential downpours have brought chaos to roads and railways across Scotland after more than two weeks worth of rain fell overnight.
All trains between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh on the scenic Kyle Railway Line were cancelled after the track between Garve and Achanalt, in Ross-shire, was submerged underwater.
Network Rail was forced to close the line after the heavy rain caused a ‘significant’ amount of silt and floodwater to cover the track.
Images also showed the road leading to the station at Achanalt badly damaged and strewn with mud and gravel after more than two and a half inches (66.4mm) of rain – more than two weeks worth – fell between 2pm on Monday and 5am yesterday.
To show the extent of the flooding, Network Rail shared a photo of the submerged track at Achanalt station, saying: ‘Here’s some footage of what we’re dealing with at Achanalt.
‘The speed and volume of the floodwater, plus the silt it’s washing onto the tracks, makes it unsafe to run trains here.’
Engineers were sent to assess the track with an inspection expected to take several hours as they worked to clear the lines.
A paddleboarder braves the flooding in Newtown St Boswells in the Scottish Borders
Achanalt station in Ross-shire where flood water washed away the road
ScotRail confirmed that no stations along the route would be served until at least the end of the day [Tuesday].
The operator said: ‘Our staff onsite continue to work to clear large amounts of debris and silt which are obstructing the track after previous flood water. The line remains closed.’
Elsewhere in the Highlands water was seen streaming like a river onto the busy A835 near Ullapool, while two inches of rain fell near Loch Droma, which led to tumultuous water falls at Corrieshalloch Gorge.
In Newton St Boswells, Roxburghshire, the water levels became so deep one resident was seen using a paddle board to cross a flooded section of road which had become impassible.
Several buildings, including a Lidl supermarket, in Perth, were also reported to have been forced to shut due to the torrential downpours, with a yellow weather warning for parts of the country ending at 6am yesterday [Tuesday] as residents likened the conditions to a ‘monsoon’.
It comes as forecasters gave a glimmer of hope that the sun would break through the clouds later this week with a chance of thermometers hitting above 20C in cities such as Glasgow and Edinburgh. But the Met office warned the sunshine will be ‘quite short lived’.
Meanwhile, residents in Tobermory, on the island of Mull, have been urged to take short showers amid ‘extremely low’ water supplies.
Scottish Water has urged residents to use water as efficiently as possible in homes, businesses and gardens to help protect resources and maintain normal supplies following what has been the driest start to the year across Scotland since 1964.
Share or comment on this article:
Flash flooding and downpours bring chaos to roads and railways across Scotland