A major incident has been declared in Hawick due to flooding in the Borders town.
Scottish Borders Council says SEPA projections indicate the River Teviot in Hawick would peak above three metres at around 4pm on Thursday, which could result in “significant damage” to properties in at-risk areas and “pose a risk to public safety."
The local authority’s flood team said this would potentially affect up to 500 properties in the town.
Police said officers are leading a multi-agency operation - alongside the fire service, council and NHS Borders - to evacuate buildings.
A decision was taken to close Trinity Primary School and Hawick High School and the health board decided to close Teviot Health Centre and all services operating within it.
The flooding situation in Peebles is also very serious, with all schools closing early in the afternoon.
It comes after persistent rainfall in the Scottish Borders, where a yellow 'be aware' rain warning has been in place all day.
Chief Inspector Vinnie Fisher, local area commander for the Scottish Borders, said: “We have been monitoring the situation with the weather in the Borders closely as the day has progressed and we have now made the decision, alongside our partners, to declare a major incident and have begun evacuating various residents around the River Teviot from their properties.
“We are working with our colleagues at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Scottish Borders Council to safely move all of those affected and ensure they are appropriately accommodated for the time being.
“I would urge the public to avoid travel within the region unless absolutely necessary and to pay attention for more information as we continue to respond to this matter.”
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