Rivers across Scotland hit record levels as torrential rain battered the country, new figures show.

The River Dee burst its banks and flooded homes in Aberdeenshire after rising 1.5 metres higher than the previous record this month.

The Don, Ythan, Cree and Tweed also reached record highs between December 3 and January 9.

Communities in Ballater, Kintore, Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, Dumfries and Newton Stewart in Dumfries and Galloway and Peebles and Hawick in the Scottish Borders were worst hit by the extreme weather, according to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa).

Sustained heavy rain between January 2 and 9 was responsible for the worst of the flooding.

Around 350% of the total average rainfall for January fell in the first seven days of the year.

A Sepa spokesman said: "December into early January 2016 saw Scotland experience some of the most severe flooding in recent memory as storms Desmond, Eva and Frank passed over Scotland and sustained and persistent rainfall continued in January.

"This series of storms was influenced by the pattern of the jet stream and have impacted the entire British Isles, not just Scotland.

"Storm Frank was particularly exceptional due to its geographical extent and intensity."

Flood-hit communities in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway and Perth and Kinross are set to benefit from a £70,000 donation from Comic Relief.

Foundation Scotland, the charitable body in charge of distributing the money, hopes to raise a total of £1m for victims.