Ongoing heavy rain across eastern Scotland has led to severe flooding, with homes in Aberdeenshire evacuated after the River Don burst its banks last night.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency currently has two severe Flood Warnings in place, meaning danger to life, together with 8 Flood Alerts and 37 Flood Warnings.

SEPA issued an updated flood alert has been issued for Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City but residents were taken aback at the speed at which river levels rose, with some reaching record highs as levels peaked during the night.

The Agency had warned that heavy rain during Thursday could lead to severe flooding in parts of Aberdeenshire, with the rivers Don and Deveron and the rivers in the north east of the area particularly at risk, with other parts of the area also at risk of significant flooding.

Flooding has led to the closure of the rail line between Aberdeen and Dundee , Aberdeen and the surrounding area has seen major travel disruption - roads have been closed across Tayside, Angus and Aberdeenshire and trains and flights have been cancelled.

Aberdeen City Councils warned residents last night living in lower residential areas close to the River Don, and in particular the Grandholm area, to seriously consider evacuating their homes as water levels continued to rise across the city. Residents were advised to seek shelter with friends and family where they can, or alternatively, a respite centre has been set up at the Bridge of Don Academy.

Other areas across the city have also been affected, particularly those located near burns. Sandbags were made available for all residents within the city at three locations; the West Tullos, Bucksburn and Culter depots.

An emergency plan which has been adopted over the past two weeks has also been activated –Aberdeenshire Council said it had a "very challenging night" and was facing an "escalating emergency response" , according to BBC news.