Bursting Banks of Clyde

It has been very, very rainy over the last twenty-four hours and there has been a lot of flooding in central and south Scotland. I didn't know how extensive this was when Caroline and I set off happily to a meeting in Biggar High School, and we drove down the M74 in the pouring rain, chatting away merrily. The first sign of trouble was at the Abington Services exit; we noticed that the other side of the carriageway was flooded so badly that it was completely blocked. There were men in yellow jackets who were waist deep in the water, they were trying to clear the drains I think. It was on the A702 towards Biggar that things got really exciting - too exciting! The River Clyde winds along near the road and in many places it had totally burst its banks and flooded the fields around. And in some places the flooding was right across the road; I bravely drove through each torrent with Caroline encouraging me onwards - some were very deep, nearly up to the car door handles, and the car sent up huge wings of spray as we pushed through. Despite the danger it was quite good fun and the flooded fields with trees sticking out of the water looked amazing, as did the swollen, rushing river. We made it safely to our meeting and Caroline gave an excellent talk and did a question and answer session, I was so proud of her knowledge and skills. We took a different route back which was still very wet but less flooded, and joined the motorway further north. It wasn't until I got home that I saw on the news just how copious the rain has been - there has been 42 mm (1.65 inches) over the last 24 hours, and while I was making my way to Biggar firefighters had to rescue 27 pupils from Abington Primary after a burn burst its banks and flooded the school! Luckily no one was hurt.