HUNDREDS of people have reported flooding to Glasgow City Council as heavy wind and rain continued to batter the city.

The council took more than 300 calls in one day and rising water levels and strong currents on the River Clyde saw a huge pontoon break free and float down river, forcing workers on scaffolding nearby to flee.

The local authority said it received more than 300 calls on Monday about issues relating to the torrential rain, and another 128 yesterday covering 69 different locations.

A spokeswoman said the local authority staff will continue to address problems as and when they arise and are dealing with high-priority calls first.

As previously reported by the Evening Times, a pensioner was trapped in his home for a day after nine inches of water surrounded his house, blocking the close.

Alan Morgan said he could not leave his home until council staff came to clear the water outside his close on Paisley Road West around 13 hours after he reported it.

The local authority spokeswoman said: “We received several hundred reports of flooding on Monday and all our resources were deployed to deal with these.

“Obviously when severe flooding occurs we need to respond to high risk areas first but rest assured every report is dealt with as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, a pontoon being used by contractors dismantling the 'unsafe' Polmadie footbridge broke free after being battered by strong currents yesterday, sparking an evacuation of workmen at Albert Bridge.

It was spotted by George Parsonage, of the Glasgow Humane Society, who patrols the river.

He said the section of pontoon - one of 11 or 12 sections bolted together - came floating round the bend near the St Andrews suspension bridge shortly after 12.30pm.

The platform headed towards Albert Bridge, which is currently being renovated, where George, 71, raced to warn workers to get off the scaffolding in case it crashed into them.

Most of the rest of the pontoon became lodged against King's Bridge, where it is currently situated.

George said it was hoped it would stay secure there overnight and said there was nothing anyone could do last night.

"We got the workmen off the platform at Albert Bridge and everyone is safe," he said.

"We have alerted Clydeport about the pontoon which is heading down the river."

A third, much smaller section of the pontoon remains at Polmadie Bridge where it is "secured as best it can be," George said.

The wind and rain was forecast to ease overnight, before becoming heavier again late today. 

The Met Office has warned storm Abigail is due to hit Scotland from tomorrow evening into Friday, with gales over the weekend.

It comes after a yellow "be aware" warning was issued for wind across the north west and north of Scotland.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) yesterday launched a new interactive flood reporting tool to help communities across Scotland be flood-prepared.

‘Report–a-Flood’ - at: www.floodlinescotland.org.uk/report-a-flood - allows people to share information on current flooding, whether from sea, rivers or in town.

SEPA will publish the reports online to try and minimise disruption.

David Pirie, SEPA Executive Director, said: "It’s important to remember that you are the first line of defence against flooding and you can take action now to reduce the impact which flooding can have on your life. It is your responsibility to manage your own flood risk and protect yourself, your family, property and business.

“The usefulness of this information will of course be dependent on the quality of the reports we receive, and we hope that as many people as possible will get involved and report flooding when they become aware of it.

“It’s important that people use Report-a-Flood for information sharing, but know it’s not a way to get assistance from emergency services or other responders, and is not monitored for response action. If you are concerned about your safety or the safety of others please contact the emergency services.”