Heavy rain hit Edinburgh city centre just after 5pm on August 19, with crowds bearing the brunt of the sudden downpour. A "flash flood" descended on the capital, with streets turning into "rivers" and stairs "overflowing." Drivers were seen pushing through water-swamped streets, while one resident joked they "went for a swim" on South Bridge.
Social Media Footage Shows Flooding
Footage shared to social media showed huge, threatening puddles forming and water flowing down streets. In one clip, a street performer can be seen continuing with his juggling act despite heavy showers pouring down.
Alan Nash, who runs Keep Edinburgh Thriving, posted a clip of the elements, writing: "There's an actual river on Candlemaker Row. Look at this, Edinburgh is flooding. Greyfriars Kirkyard, look at the staircase. It's overflowing."
Another video uploaded to TikTok was captioned: "Just went for a wee swim on South Bridge," to which a follower replied: "Pretty sure I drowned on the Royal Mile."
Victoria Street Cleared as Tourists Run for Cover
A third showed a stream of water cascading down Victoria Street, one of the most iconic and well-walked parts of the city, lined with boutiques, cafes, restaurants, and pubs. Keep Edinburgh Thriving wrote in the caption: "Extreme rain in Edinburgh. An incredible downpour clears the streets. Victoria Street cleared with tourists running for cover."
Locals can be seen stopping in their tracks as water gushes down closes, leaving people almost stranded mid-walk as they wait for the intense spell to pass, reports Edinburgh Live.
Yellow Weather Warning Issued
The elements turned just as the city is over halfway through the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which has attracted millions of people from all across the world, all of whom were forced to brave the deluge last night.
A yellow weather warning was issued for parts of Scotland as heavy showers and thunderstorms were expected to sweep across the country yesterday afternoon. The Met Office warning covered parts of central and eastern Scotland, with forecasters warning that slow moving downpours could bring flooding, lightning and hail.
The warning was in place from 2-9pm yesterday, with some areas expected to see particularly heavy rainfall over a short period. The Met Office said yesterday: "Heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely to develop over the area this afternoon. These showers will be slow moving bringing accumulations of 15-20mm in an hour in some places, with 30mm possible in a few hours. Lightning and hail will be additional hazards. The showers will ease during the evening."
