Empty shelves in Shetland supermarkets left cut off from mainland by storms

Ferries cancelled by bad weather have left some supermarkets running out of supplies (Picture: Shetland News)

Supermarkets on the Shetland islands are running out of food because supplies can’t reach there in bad weather.

High winds and heavy rain have battered Scotland in recent days, causing widespread flooding and disruption.

The extreme weather means ferries which usually make the 110 mile journey with goods have been unable to sail.

After four days of terrible conditions at sea, aisles in shops in Lerwick, the area’s largest town, are looking bare.

Fruit, vegetables and bread are all running out fast, according to a report, and stocks of refrigerated items are also dwindling.

The NorthLink ferry service, which runs between Aberdeen and Shetland, has not run since Monday night due to high winds.

With the bad weather receding, it’s hoped that a service will be able to leave tonight and reach Shetland by tomorrow.

Ferries are used to get goods to the northernmost part of the UK (Picture: Universal)

Islanders are used to dealing with the impact of bad weather and were left without broadband and phone services after a telecommunication cable fault last month.

Smaller shops stocking more local produce said they had more than enough to get through the bad weather.

Chair of the Shetland Food and Drink association Marian Armitage said: ‘There’s no question that we should be eating more of what’s available in Shetland.’

Severe flood warnings were put in place across the north east of Scotland on Friday after a month’s worth of rain fell in some areas overnight.

A search was under way for a woman who is feared to have been swept away by the swollen River Don.

A woman is feared to have been swept away after the River Don burst its banks (Picture: Twitter/@Fyrishsunset)

Roads across Scotland have been left inundated after a month’s worth of rain fell in a matter of hours in some areas (Picture: Alamy)

Police were at the scene near Monymusk from yesterday afternoon after they received a report of a ‘person in the water’.

According to the Daily Record, the woman had entered the water to try rescue her dog.

The search was stood down at 6pm yesterday but began again today.

Train services have been severely impacted throughout the weekend and there has been some localised flooding in Edinburgh. 

The Scottish government’s resilience committee met on Friday and again on Saturday to monitor the situation.

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