Giant trees crash into Kilmarnock playpark narrowly missing properties as Storm Babet hits towns

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Giant trees have smashed into a childrens' playpark today, narrowly missing nearby homes.Around three huge trees have fallen at Strathlea park, just off Holmes Road in Kilmarnock.The biggest of the trees to fall has missed a back garden at the Persimmon Homes by yards but another is hunkered down in the playpark near to play apparatus.And the uprooting of the trees has left huge holes behind in the ground.No roads are blocked as a result of the incident.One local said: "It's very lucky the way those trees have fallen.

If they'd gone the opposite way they're going on to the road or someone's house."And thankfully it looks like nobody was in the park at the time this happened, which is a blessing."We're not even in the eye of this storm so I can only imagine what others are going through."Officials had started to survey the scene earlier this evening.It comes as Storm Babet causes havoc across the country with a red warning in place in Grampian and Angus.A yellow warning for Ayrshire was issued but has since been removed from the Met Office's official list of impacted areas.

Met Office chief meteorologist, Andy Page, said: “This is not usual autumn weather. This is an exceptional event, and we are likely to continue to see significant impacts with the potential for further flooding and damage to properties.

There are numerous National Severe Weather Warnings in place for both rain and wind over the coming days.” “Today parts of eastern Scotland could see a further 20-30 mm of rain, but the east-facing high ground from southeast Scotland to the Cheviots, south to the Peak District may see as much as 80 to 120 mm of rain locally.