A member of the rescue services walks down Stonehaven High Street in Aberdeenshire, after the river Carron burst its banks causing flooding in the coastal town.

Householders and businesses are hoping the worst is over after forecasters said showers will clear in the worst-hit flood areas of the UK by Tuesday night.

Torrential rain and strong winds that battered the UK on Sunday caused travel chaos, cancelled trains and saw some people being plucked from vehicles and homes when flood waters rose.

Scotland was hit worst by the wind and rain, with the Aberdeenshire communities of Huntly and the coastal town of Stonehaven counting the cost of the damage.

Brendan Jones, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "The showers will be around the western parts of the country. You may get one or two which make it over the mountains to Aberdeenshire but they should be light."

In Huntly at least 12 residents have moved back into the local Meadows Care Home after water poured into a dining room and two bedrooms in the early hours of Monday morning. The damage to the home, which is owned by Four Seasons Health Care, is being assessed before the 28 remaining residents can return.

Rob Harper, Four Seasons Health Care managing director for Scotland, said: "Twelve residents have now been safely returned to the Meadows Care Home, to a unit which was unaffected by the flooding. All other residents remain settled in alternative accommodation, including 16 at the Jubilee Hospital.

"Assessors are still evaluating the extent of the damage but we hope to return more residents to the home and to get back to business as usual as soon as possible."

But businesses were still counting the cost of the water damage in Stonehaven.

Frank MacDonald, who owns the town's Harbour Bakery, said the clean-up of his shop will continue.

"I will be losing thousands of pounds over the next couple of weeks. It will be weeks before the shop opens."