A major incident has been declared in a Scottish Borders town due to persistent flooding issues.
Hawick has been hit with the major incident warning following a period of sustained rainfall throughout the day, forcing the River Tweed and River Teviot to both rise to a worrying level.
The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) have projected that the Teviot in Hawick will peak above three metres this afternoon, which could result in significant damage to properties in at risk areas of the town and pose a risk to public safety.
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As a result, 500 homes could be affected in the area due to the projected major incident as evacuation for some is now in progress.
Senior officers from Scottish Borders Council, Police Scotland, NHS Borders and Scottish Fire and Rescue have come together to make this decision, which will be led by Police Scotland.
Some residents and businesses that could come under threat have started to be evacuated to a safe area, with Hawick's primary and high school's having to send both pupils and staff home.
NHS Borders has taken the decision to close Teviot Health Centre and all services that operate within the centre. The council have reopened the rest centre at Teviotdale Leisure Centre at 2pm to provide assistance to those displaced by the risk of flooding.
The problem has also escalated in Peebles, with schools in the area also closing early this afternoon where transport arrangements permit.
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."
