Weather: Heavy rain sparks severe flooding HEAVY OVERNIGHT rain caused "some of the worst flooding seen in 30 years" in part of Scotland. Some streets in Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute, were under a metre of water with firefighters, police and the coastguard called in to help clear the water and protect properties. The heavy rain combined with high tide in the coastal area meant there was nowhere for the water to drain away. Even some properties not in the flooded streets had rain water coming up through their drains, the fire service said. Once the tide subsided, the teams working to clear the area were able to pump the water away and the area was largely clear by 8am today. Campbeltown Community Fire Station watch manager Ronnie Souden said: "This was some of the worst flooding I've seen in 30 years. The rain was absolutely torrential and it coincided with high tide, which meant it wouldn't drain away. There were streets under three feet of water - it was up over car bonnets and there was actually a current so we had to be careful at all times. We constantly used pumps to clear the water but it was a constant battle against the tide. Some properties away from the flooded streets even had water coming up through the drains. While this was going on our crews and colleagues from the police, coastguard and council were also deploying sandbags to divert the water and protect other homes and businesses. As the tide slowly receded we managed to shift the water and anyone getting up to go to work at eight o'clock wouldn't have believed the scene a few hours earlier. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) currently has nine alerts and 20 flood warnings in place, mainly in the Tayside area, with more rain forecast - but firefighters hope they have dealt with the worst of the problems. Some roads around Campbeltown, Ayrshire and the southern Highlands are closed because of flooding. Transport Minister Keith Brown said last night: "The heavy rain may lead to some disruption on local roads and to ferry services over the next couple of days, especially at peak times. With the conditions we can also expect to see flooding in some areas and road users should be prepared before they set off on their journeys. While we will do everything we can to mitigate the impacts of the conditions, people travelling should be prepared and plan their journeys accordingly.