Heavy rain causes flood problems in Scotland

Flooding caused problems for motorists on Balcarres Street in Edinburgh

Heavy rain across parts of central and southern Scotland is causing some flooding and problems on the roads.

In Edinburgh, residents have reported "rivers of water" on Balcarres Street, which was hit by serious flash flooding earlier this year.

Lothian and Borders Police said no roads were closed, but there was flooding reported across the city.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue said it was dealing with localised incidents, mainly in Ayrshire.

South Ayrshire Council said heavy rain had caused flooding, particularly in Ayr, Coylton, Culroy, Dundonald, Dunure, Kirkmichael, Mossblown, Prestwick, Tarbolton and Troon.

Sand bags

The council had received more than 60 calls about road flooding-related issues by 16:00 and said it deployed resources to help in all of these areas.

Firefighters helped clear water from Portland Street in Troon

Staff handed out more than 160 sand bags in the Troon area alone.

The council said its staff would continue to respond to road surface water emergency situations throughout the night, with crews on standby.

Mike Newall, the council's head of planning and enterprise, said: "We are doing all we can to help our local communities who are affected by this flooding and our staff are out there in horrendous conditions in an effort to make a positive difference."

In Troon, firefighters worked to help shop owners whose premises were threatened by about 15cm (6in) of flood water on Portland Street in the town. Jubilee Road was also closed.

The A713 at Ailsa Hospital, Wilson Street in Ayr and the B7024 near Culroy were also affected.

Weather warning

There were other localised floods reported on roads in the Maybole and Kirkmichael areas.

The Met Office has issued severe weather warning urging people in south-west and central Scotland to take extra care, as rain and strong winds spread across the two areas.

Tyndrum in Stirlingshire had the heaviest rainfall - 12mm (0.47in) between midnight and midday, while 11mm (0.43in) fell on Prestwick in Ayrshire, forecasters said.

The B7024 near Culroy was one of the roads in Ayrshire blocked by floodwater

Motorists have reported flooding and overflowing drains in many areas of Glasgow.

Surface water led to a 30mph (48km/h) temporary speed limit on the M8 between junction 3a at Bathgate and junction 3 at Livingston.

Drivers were also being warned about a potential landslide at Rest and Be Thankful in Argyle, caused by heavy rain.

Traffic Scotland said road users in the area "must exercise extreme caution".

Parts of the M74 also had heavy surface water.

In South Lanarkshire flooding had closed the A72 Riverside Road in Lanark and the A724 Hamilton Road in Blantyre.

In Dumfries and Galloway, drivers were being urged to be extra careful. A fallen tree was blocking the A701 in both directions between St Annes Bridge and Beattock.