Published: Thursday, 1st April, 2010 6:05am

High winds and rain batter county

View at North Berwick Harbour

ATROCIOUS weather conditions struck the county this week - just three days into British Summer Time.

As the east of Scotland woke to find itself under a blanket of snow on Wednesday morning, the county was suffering severe flooding, from Musselburgh to Dunbar, resulting in over 4,000 sandbags being distributed to homes in the Honest Toun and in Haddington.

Primary schools were closed, residents in Gifford were left with no electricity for over 12 hours, the River Esk burst its banks in Musselburgh and the main A1 entrances to Haddington at Oak Tree junction and Abbotsview were closed due to flooding resulting in drivers being forced to take an 18-mile detour to Dunbar and back.

Humbie and Yester Primary schools also failed to open on Wednesday due to a power failure and no heating in the buildings, while homeowners in Gifford had their electricity cut off at about 10pm on Tuesday night.

Train services between North Berwick and Edinburgh were also badly affected and had to begin and terminate at Drem Station throughout Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.

The River Esk burst its banks at about 3pm on Tuesday, but council workers braved the elements throughout the night to make the area safe. Police closed roads surrounding Fisherrow harbour, and officers were seen stopping worried boating enthusiasts from entering the harbour area.

A spokesperson for Lothian and Borders Police said: "The A1 is passable but subject to heavy surface water. The majority of roads within the Sub Division are subject to flooding of some degree or other. A flood alert is in place regarding the River Esk at Musselburgh, high tide is due [on Wednesday] at around 3pm.

"Police are advising all drivers of heavy vehicles to refrain from driving and to listen to for media updates in their area."

East Lothian Council, who also placed severe weather warnings on its website, and distributed thousands of sandbags to homes in Haddington and Musselburgh on Tuesday evening as a precaution against further flood damage.

Residents in Musselburgh's Goose Green Crescent, Goose Green Place, Goose Green Road, Eskside East and Eskside West have all been informed their properties are at risk of flooding.

Meanwhile, fishermen and boating enthusiasts in Port Seton and North Berwick battled to save their boats from capsizing as massive waves breached the harbour walls, while many roads across East Lothian had diversions in place following the severe storms.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick experienced flooding to their downstairs Discovery Centre, and staff were forced to work through the night as they mopped up the mess in an effort to keep the centre open. The centre's exterior walls have also been severely damaged.

A spokesperson for the Seabird Centre said: "It is business as usual for us this week. I've never seen waves like the ones we saw on Tuesday. Unfortunately, the Discovery Centre experienced flooding and we have been working through the night to clear it all up."

Small craft tethered in the harbour's dinghy park were left battered.

"I'm proud to say we've never closed in the 10years we've been open, but this week was the closest we have come. The weather was that bad I actually saw a dinghy float past our window and head on down the street. It really was surreal," the spokesperson added.

Virtually every boat in the park broke free from their moorings after being lashed by 15 foot waves and were washed to one side. Extensive damage was caused to many of the other boats, and owners were seen moving them to the nearby Anchor Green for safekeeping.

Flood watches have been put in place throughout the county.

A spokesperson for Bear Scotland, who is in charge of the county's roads, said: "As a result of recent heavy rainfall, we have responded to several localised flooding issues on the A1. The southbound slip road at Abbotsview was closed shortly after midnight and remains closed while a team is on site dealing with the flooding.

"The A1 and other slip roads remain open, but we ask motorists to check weather forecasts in advance of setting out, and to take due care when driving in challenging conditions."

A spokesperson for Scotrail said there had been flooding between Edinburgh and North Berwick resulting in trains stopping at Drem, but services had returned to normal by Wednesday.

Train passengers on the main east coast line between Edinburgh and Newcastle were advised to postpone their journeys following a series of landslips which have closed the route since Tuesday night. Train services were suspended on Wednesday in both directions between Edinburgh and Newcastle.

And a spokesperson for the Scottish Protection Environment Agency added: "The main risk of flooding is to property in the Musselburgh area adjacent to the River Esk, although other low lying areas along the east coast of Scotland may be at some risk. SEPA has issued a coastal Flood Watch for the east coast of Scotland from Peterhead to Berwick.

"These high levels, exacerbated by high flows in the River Esk, are expected to cause significant flooding of property in some low lying areas of Musselburgh."