Edinburgh Council unveils sandbag pick-up locations for residents to prevent homes flooding

Sandbags line the riverbanks in Haddington earlier this year (Pic: Jon Savage) and flooding affects Perth Street on Wednesday (Pic: Lisa Ferguson)

The Met Office has issued yellow "be aware" warnings for rain, in place until midnight tonight, and thunderstorm warnings will be in effect all of Saturday and until 6am on Sunday.

Edinburgh weekend weather forecast: More heavy rain expected as yellow thunderst...

It comes after torrential rain and flooding hit the Capital on Wednesday and caused disruption on roads and trains and affected some homes and businesses.

Specific advice posted by the local authority on social media on Friday says that, if you live in an area prone to flooding, you should protect your property by having your own sandbags.

The council provides a limited number of sandbags which can be collected from the following fire stations:

Tollcross Fire Station - 6 West Tollcross EH3 9QN

Crewe Toll Fire Station - 223 Telford Road EH4 2PW

Liberton Fire Station - 19 Kirk Brae EH16 6TS

Newcraighall Fire Station - 90 Newcraighall Road EH21 8QS

Marionville Fire Station - 51 Marionville Drive EH7 6BH

South Queensferry Fire Station - Ferryburn, Rosebery Avenue EH30 9QS

Powderhall Depot - 165 Broughton Road EH7 4LG.

The local authority says that sandbags can be bought from any builders merchant and that it's best to store hessian sandbags unfilled, in a waterproof area, as the hessian will rot and may only last four months when filled.

In the same article, Edinburgh City Council also advises on what to do and who to contact in a flood with regards to blockages in rivers and burns and electricity and water.

Edinburgh Council's flood preparations

Preparations have been made by the council ahead of the latest weather warnings through an ongoing gully-clearing programme, and roads teams will be reacting to any blockages and responding to flooding when it occurs. Scottish Water, which maintains the drainage system and sewers, will also be on hand to respond.

The council's message says the kind of weather being experienced recently could become more frequent in the future, adding: "The council intends to develop surface water management plans to better understand the areas at risk of flooding from these types of events.

"We will also continue to work with partners and the public to mitigate the impact of surface water flooding where possible."

Transport and Environment Convener, councillor Lesley Macinnes, said: "There’s no doubt that recent months have brought their fair share of wet, stormy weather, which can have a real impact on the city. Our roads and flooding teams have worked extremely hard to limit disruption for the public, ensuring the majority of Council services continue as usual.

"It is almost impossible to avoid the negative effects of freak storms such as these but we’re continuously working to better understand the areas most at risk of flooding, and where we can put measures in place to mitigate this.

"I would also encourage the public to follow our advice on protecting their own properties from flooding damage, as well as planning any travel ahead during periods of heavy weather."