One motorist, who made his way to work during a downpour, said, “I was left having to crawl along in second gear as my wipers couldn’t clear the rain quick enough.

“At several junctions there were queues of traffic all crawling through large puddles.

“The fact that it was a dark morning made visibility even more difficult, as the glare from headlights was bouncing off the surface water on the roads and on the car’s windows.”

There was minor flooding on many city routes, with reports of “knee-deep” water on Riverside Drive.

In Fife, the main street of Freuchie was awash with floodwaters said to be about two feet deep. The road between Kettlebridge and the New Inn roundabout was also badly affected.

In Arbroath, the rains caused localised flooding. The Montrose Road near the Shell garage and parts of Tarry Road were under about six inches of muddy water. Drains blocked by fallen leaves also contributed to flooding in Elliot Street, Lochlands Drive, Nolt Loan Road and at Woodville.

Police also reported flooding at the Inverkeilor railway bridge, and advised motorists to approach all standing water with care.

In Perth and Kinross, motorists were asked to show extra caution. No roads were closed by the deluge but surface water meant drivers had to slow down. The worst-affected road was Burn Brae on the A85 at Methven, where police put up signs warning of the danger.

In Angus, the B9128 Forfar-Carnoustie road between Hillend and Craichie was closed as deep water lay across the route.

A police spokesman said pooling water had been reported on many roads and urged motorists to moderate their speed and exercise caution.