Scotland bears brunt of flooding

Lifeboat crews rescued dozens of people trapped in their homes by severe floods yesterday. The flooding came as the Environment Agency warned of further deluges across England today if heavy rain continued.

Scotland was at the centre of a crisis yesterday as bad weather moved north of the border. More than 80 people had been taken to Elgin High School in north-east Scotland for safety, police said, and others had gone to stay with family and friends after the River Lossie burst its banks.

Police, the fire brigade and the RAF joined five lifeboat crews to help evacuate people as waters levels rose. Severe floods hit the area in 1997 but police said the current situation was "much worse".

Flooding also hit train services between Aberdeen and Inverness, seven roads in the north-east of Scotland were closed and one bridge was swept away. Three severe flood warnings had been issued for the Rivers Lossie, Mosset Burn and Spey. In England, 24 flood warnings remained in force in the Midlands, South and Anglian regions.

The Environment Agency said any more heavy rain could cause considerable problems. Spokeswoman Jo Hunt said: "The ground is very saturated. Any water will go straight into the rivers. We will be monitoring the situation closely."