By Cara Sulieman and Michael MacLeod
REVELLERS heading for this year’s T in the Park were put on flood alert last night after heavy rainfall swamped the area.
The Met Office said it expects “torrential downpours” right up until the weekend sparking fears of a washout.
Dozens of flood emergencies were reported yesterday with Tayside Fire and Rescue Service receiving its first calls from worried residents at about 9.30am before pumping out water from various locations.
Most of the calls came from the Kinross and Milnathort areas – both within a few miles of the festival site in Balado.
Heavy rain warnings
And although the worst was over by mid-afternoon, there are still severe weather warnings in place for today and into the rest of the week.
The Met Office was issuing heavy rain warnings for days to come for Perth and Kinross as well as Angus, Dundee, Stirling and Clackmannanshire.
But while wellies will be needed with organisers describing conditions underfoot as “not great” it could still brighten up for the weekend.
A Met Office spokesperson said: “On Saturday Scotland should have the driest and brightest weather in the country.
“It is looking as though it will be the best weather in the UK this weekend.”
Sunlight
Organisers say conditions underfoot at the site are “not great”, but expect the festival to go ahead as planned.
Last year forecasters predicted heavy downpours for the event, which ended up being bathed in sunlight.
And with the flooding, shop owners are preparing themselves for a flood of customers stocking up on wellies.
With the downpour at the moment, Elliot Johnston, Dobbies Garden Centres’ manager, says they’ve learned their lesson.
Awful weather
He said: “Last year it was awful weather in the week before T in the Park and our sales of wellies were up 62 per cent.
“But some places did run out, so we’re stocking up big time this year.
“The Kinross store is right on the edge of the festival boundary, so we’ve got an order in for extras there, as well as at the Stirling and Dunfermline stores which are on the main road routes north to the festival.
“We’re also getting in extra cagoules, jackets, sunglasses, and cool bags.
“Funnily enough, disposable barbecues are the next-best seller to wellies, despite the expectation for rain.”
This year’s festival starts on Thursday night and continues through to Sunday when Blur and Snow Patrol take to the stages.
