Very high river levels forecast along the River Spey with a danger to life

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued three severe Flood Warnings for the Aviemore and Carrbridge areas with very high river levels forecast for the early hours of Tuesday morning along the River Spey, with a danger to life.

Further warnings are in place over large parts of Scotland with rivers expected to continue to rise, especially across Speyside, the Great Glen and Tayside where impacts are most likely.

A meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGORR) – chaired by Justice Secretary and Minister for Resilience Angela Constance and attended by the First Minister and senior Ministers – was held last night (Monday) to ensure appropriate measures are in place to deal with the severe weather expected.

The Met Office has issued an amber warning for rain that covers parts of the southern Highlands and Moray, valid from midnight until 5pm today. A yellow warning for rain and snow covering much of the rest of Scotland remains in place until midnight tonight. There is also a yellow warning for wind across southern Scotland from 7am to 11pm today.

Police Scotland is encouraging road users in the area covered by the amber warning to consider whether they need to travel and are advising people to avoid travelling into the area.

Travel disruption is expected across Scotland, with Transport Scotland making preparations across the trunk road network. Rail, ferry and airport operators are also working to ensure that people can reach their destination over the remainder of the festive period, when it is safe to do so and once the worst of the conditions have passed or expired.

Ms Constance said: “Severe flood warnings with a danger to life are rarely issued and it’s imperative all those in the affected areas play their part to stay safe. I would urge everyone to take action now by staying away from flood water and not taking any unnecessary risks. Please follow the advice of emergency services and first responders on the ground, and where advised to evacuate please do so.

“I would also recommend to keep updated with Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s live flooding updates and consider now any steps needed to be prepared for flooding impacts. With amber and yellow warnings issued for a combination of rain, wind and snow across the country, I have chaired a meeting of SGORR to ensure that we are acting as quickly and safely as possible to mitigate the impacts of the severe weather.

“I know many people will have plans to celebrate Hogmanay with friends and family but with road, rail, air and ferry services all likely to be affected by the conditions, I would urge everyone to please plan ahead to make sure it is safe to travel, and to follow Police and Transport Scotland travel advice on the roads. Anyone planning to travel by rail, air or ferry, should also stay in contact with their operator for the latest service information.

“The Scottish Government’s resilience committee will continue to monitor the situation overnight into Tuesday, and keep Ministers fully updated.

“Advice and information for the public is available at Ready.Scot and the Scottish Government will continue to work with all relevant agencies to closely monitor the storm and its impacts and ensure support is provided to those affected.”

Cordelia Menmuir, Flood Duty Manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said: “We have issued three severe flood warnings for the Aviemore and Carrbridge areas. As a result of heavy and prolonged rainfall overnight very high river levels are forecast for the early hours of Tuesday morning along the River Spey. There is a danger to life.

“The severe flood warnings are for Sluggan to Dulnain Bridge, Kincraig to Inverdruie, and Aviemore/ Dalfabar. Extensive river flooding is forecast and there will be widespread disruption to transport, infrastructure, and property flooding. Remember to follow the advice of emergency responder and do not walk or drive through flood water.”

Ministers attending last night’s meeting included First Minister John Swinney, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero Gillian Martin and Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity Jim Fairlie.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) issues flood alerts and warnings for Scotland. View the latest updates on their website.

For trunk road information visit the Traffic Scotland website.

Updates on ScotRail services and road conditions are available online.

Advice on preparing for severe weather can be found on the Ready Scotland website.

Latest weather advice can be found on the Met Office website.

Travel advice issued for AMBER weather warning on Hogmanay

Road users are being advised to expect disruption in the Highland and Moray areas on Tuesday, 31 December, 2024 due to an AMBER warning for rain.

Heavy and persistent rainfall is expected which has the potential to trigger shallow landslides and will cause extensive surface water that could affect the public transport and road network, making driving conditions challenging.

There are a number of flood warnings and alerts in place already across Scotland and we would advise the public to check their area on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) website.

Visit Ready Scotland for information on how to prepare for rain and flooding. Information about public transport is available via Traveline.

Police are encouraging road users in the affected area to consider whether they need to travel and are advising people to avoid travelling into the affected area and to drive to the road conditions.

Superintendent Andy Barclay, deputy head of Road Policing, said: “Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary during the bad weather or if it can be delayed until conditions improve.

“Stopping distances can be at least double on wet roads compared to dry conditions, and spray can reduce driver visibility.

 “If you need to travel, please drive to the conditions, be prepared for delays and allow extra time for your journey. Please don’t drive through road closures, the decision to close roads is not taken lightly and is done for public safety.”

General advice for road users

• Plan ahead and avoid unnecessary travel
• All road users should consider if they really need to travel during adverse weather
• Consider delaying travel until conditions improve
• If you are travelling on the roads, prepare yourself and your vehicle for the conditions
• Ensure your mobile phone is charged and plan your journey, including an alternative route
• Have sufficient fuel, warm clothing, food and water in case you’re delayed
• Do not ignore road closure signs – they are for your safety
• Congestion caused by vehicles may restrict emergency services and recovery vehicles from providing essential assistance
• Listen to media broadcasts, including radio, for updates Traffic Scotland radio player | Traffic Scotland or visit Traffic Scotland | Trunk road traffic updates & route planner
• Follow your local authority for the latest updates in your area via Facebook, Twitter/X or their website

Further details about the weather warning and information on flood alerts are available on the Met Office website.