The response to the ongoing impact of Storm Boelo was discussed by Ministers at a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGORR) yesterday afternoon.
Strong winds and heavy rain affected much of the country over the weekend and weather warnings remained in force for most of Scotland until nine o’clock last night. Ministers were told that while conditions may ease later today (Sunday), there is potential for adverse weather to return early this week.
Power cuts are affecting some parts of the country. Electricity suppliers say a total of around 40,000 customers are currently without supply but approximately 26,000 customers have had their power restored. The ongoing winds are hampering repair efforts but they will continue as soon as it is safe to do so.
Flooding has affected several properties in Largs and Saltcoats and caused damage to some transport routes. A number of roads are blocked by fallen trees. The conditions have caused disruption to rail, air and ferry services. Ministers are urging the public to check official channels for the latest information in their areas.
Sunday’s meeting was attended by the First Minister John Swinney, Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville, Economy, Tourism and Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn, Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands Jim Fairlie and Minister for Victims and Community Safety Kirsten Oswald. The Met Office, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Transport Scotland, blue light services and several other agencies involved in the response also joined.
Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “As we experience a third consecutive day of weather warnings with continued strong winds forecast until later today, it is important that people keep up to date on the impact the conditions are having in their local area.
“Disruption to travel is likely to continue into tomorrow and I strongly recommend people check official sources such as the Met Office, Traffic Scotland, transport operators and local authority channels before setting out.
“While we expect some respite from the adverse weather during the day on Monday, there is a possibility of more severe weather conditions early on in the week and we urge everyone to continue to follow advice and heed any warnings.
“If anyone is isolated or needs help or assistance, they should not hesitate to seek help from the appropriate authorities.
“We continue to monitor the situation and work closely with partners to respond quickly and try to mitigate the effects of Storm Boelo as far as possible.”
Stuart Wilson of Transport Scotland said: “The weekend of storms has brought challenges across the transport network and, in some cases, there will be significant recovery work required before we have the network back to normal.
“Our operating companies are working around the clock to restore parts of the trunk road network that have been impacted. The Traffic Scotland website and X account have regular updates on trunk road conditions, so I’d continue to urge drivers to plan their journey before setting off, particularly ahead of the return to work on Monday morning.
“The conditions have also impacted rail, ferry and air networks, so it’s vital travellers check with operators to see if their services have been affected.”
Two people were killed by the storm, including a man from Dumfries and Galloway.
Advice on preparing for severe weather can be found on the Ready Scotland website.