Climate change will bring more extreme weather events like the torrential rain that flooded Edinburgh – Angus Robertson MSP
A big thank you to everyone who has been involved in the Edinburgh clean-up after flash flooding hit the city in recent days.
Scenes from the Capital were more akin to tropical storms than anything I have experienced in the city. Houses, businesses and roads were flooded in many parts of Edinburgh after an initial deluge on Sunday afternoon.
Social media posts showed Stockbridge under water, what looked like a geyser dramatically erupting flood water in the middle of a city street, cars stranded amid flood water, an elderly couple stranded at a bus-stop in Roseburn, and many more shocking scenes.
Trains in and out of Edinburgh were stopped. Pumps had to be used to clear the lines and buses were used to ferry passengers. The fire brigade attended a number of incidents including flooding at the Fountain Park complex at Fountainbridge. Even the new St James Quarter had to cordon off areas because of the conditions.
Fortunately severe rainfall and flash flooding are rare occurrences in Edinburgh, but we cannot ignore the impact that climate change is having.
What previously might have been one-in-50 or one-in-100-year events are now more common. Just because we haven’t experienced something like this in recent times doesn’t mean it won’t happen again.
No doubt city authorities and others will be reviewing the floods and looking at potential mitigation measures. Hopefully everyone who suffered material damage to their homes and businesses will be supported quickly by their insurers.
Angus Robertson is the SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central and Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Secretary