UK weather: One person swept into river and hundreds of others face flooding threat as heavy rain batters Scotland
A woman has been reportedly swept into the River Don in Aberdeenshire, as heavy rain is set to bring more disruption to Scotland as well as the northeast of England today.
Police Scotland said the force was called to the river near to Monymusk in Aberdeenshire at around 3.05pm on Friday following reports of a person in the water.
While the search was stood down overnight, police inquiries are ongoing.
The person, who is believed to be a woman, may have been trying to rescue a dog, according to reports.
It comes as much of Scotland and northeast England have been battered by heavy rain in the past few days.
In the northeast of Scotland, the council has urged residents to protect their properties from flooding, with some areas including Stonehaven and Inverurie experiencing power cuts.
Rest centres have been opened in some parts of Aberdeenshire after flood warnings escalated to severe.
Significant increases in river levels across the east of Scotland due to persistent rain are expected to continue today.
‘A month’s worth of rain in some parts’
Vincent Fitzsimons, flood duty manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), said: “We have seen almost a month’s worth of rain in some parts already this week and we are expecting around the same again over the course of Friday and Saturday in parts of northeast Scotland.”
He added that the worst impacts will occur between early Friday afternoon and early Saturday morning, with riverside communities in parts of Aberdeenshire and Angus facing the highest risks.
Sepa has issued seven severe flood warnings and 30 flood warnings in Scotland.
People living and working in the affected areas have been advised to plan and prepare only essential journeys.
Travel disruptions are expected on much of the rail network in Scotland and northeast England, due to flooding and power cuts.
There has also been localised flooding in some parts of Edinburgh, with pictures showing the Crewe Toll roundabout in the west of the city submerged under water.
On Friday, hundreds of people were left stranded at Newcastle Station due to the cancelled services north to Scotland, with huge queues for replacement buses and passengers told they might have to wait up to five hours to board.
Queues for the bus services stretched hundreds of metres down the street outside the city centre station and spiralled around the concourse inside.
Hundreds of rail passengers queue outside Newcastle train station for replacement buses
One woman heading for Edinburgh said: “This just can’t be happening. I’ve got a health condition and I can’t wait outside like this.”
James Brownhill, from London, said: “It’s just chaos. But there’s nothing you can do. If it’s flooded, it’s flooded.
“I think I’m just going to have to stay in Newcastle tonight.”
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
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Wrexham AFC have been promoted for the third season in a row.
The North Wales-based side has gone from the National League to the Championship in just three seasons, under its Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Wrexham were second in the table and had a run of eight games unbeaten ahead of their match against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which they won 3-0.
Wrexham’s James McClean lifts the League One trophy. Pic: PA
Wrexham’s Dan Scarr celebrates with the fans on the pitch after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
It is the first time any club has been promoted for three consecutive seasons within the top five tiers of English football.
The third oldest association football club in the world, Wrexham AFC was bought by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2020, and has since been the subject of a Disney+ documentary, Welcome To Wrexham.
Reynolds, wearing a Wrexham sweatshirt, and McElhenney were pictured celebrating each goal, and after the game, as the fans came onto the pitch at the SToK Cae Ras (Racecourse Ground) to celebrate the victory with the players.
Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney (L) and Ryan Reynolds and Ryan’s wife Blake Lively, before the match. Pic: PA
Both stars came onto the pitch after the supporters returned to the stands.
Speaking to Sky Sports, McElhenney praised those behind the scenes, referring to “so many that don’t get the credit they deserve, people who aren’t talked about”.
Reynolds said bringing success back to the club “seemed like an impossible dream” when they arrived in North Wales in 2020.
Wrexham’s Sam Smith celebrates in front of the fans after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
He put the three promotions down to “the coaching staff, the greatest dressing room” and an “all for one, one for all” attitude throughout the club, adding he was “speechless with their commitment and their emotion”.
As for the mouth-watering prospect of another promotion to the promised land of the Premier League, the pair agreed it was “for tomorrow”, before ending the interview with a joint mic-drop.
Veteran striker Steven Fletcher said, “as soon as I came to this club, I knew it was something special. We want to go again. We’ll reset in the summer, take a break and go again”.
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