Seafront remains closed after 'risk to life' warning
Locals have been urged to stay away from the seafront in Stonehaven
- Published
Stonehaven harbour and seafront remains closed to the public after police issued a risk to life warning following high tides.
Sea walls were not breached, but locals were urged to avoid parts of the Aberdeenshire town on Saturday after shale and rock from the beach was forced on to the promenade and nearby roads.
A retaining wall was damaged and sandbags were deployed in a bid to soak up overspill from Cowie Water and prevent the need to evacuate nearby properties.
Alerts over flooding in parts of coastal Scotland also remain in place for a second day.
More than a dozen flood warnings, external have been issued for the north and east coasts, as well as the islands.
A huge boulder was washed up on Stonehaven's seafront car park by stormy seas.
And Aberdeenshire Council said it had “encouraged” people to stay away from the area.
It said: “Areas all along the seafront were affected by coastal flooding overnight from Friday to Saturday and remain closed today.
“Take great care in coastal areas and stay away from the seafront wherever possible.
"Remain vigilant, and remember it is your responsibility to take actions which help protect yourself and your property.”
The clean up is expected to continue on Monday.
Stonehaven seafront closed off after overnight flooding
A huge boulder was thrown from the sea into a nearby car park
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) warned flooding could "potentially be more significant" than previous issues on Friday night and Saturday morning.
Alerts are in place in Fife, with areas around the coast in Aberdeenshire, Arbroath, Caithness and Speyside also affected.
David Morgan, Sepa's flood duty manager, urged the public to steer clear of affected areas and warned some travel may be disrupted.
He said: "The greatest risk of flooding will be around high tides but the sea conditions will generally be dangerous much of the time.
"Therefore, we are advising that people stay away from flood water and breaking waves.
"We are expecting disruption to travel around the coast and we are asking people to plan accordingly".
On Saturday emergency crews were called to reports of flooded waterfront properties in Stonehaven.
HM Coastguard said teams were called to assist the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) with reports of flooding at properties on the waterfront.
Images from the town on Saturday showed debris including rock and shale from its beach strewn across the streets by stormy seas.
In a statement, police had previously warned that "strong winds, surges and an imminent high tide mean that there is a serious risk to life".
Stormy conditions hit areas as far south as North Berwick on Saturday
Elsewhere, in North Berwick, East Lothian, huge swells battered the harbour, causing spray to pour over its walls.
Meanwhile, in Kirkcaldy, sand and water was dumped in a car park near the town's beach by powerful surges.