The Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) has met to consider the impacts of Storm Isha and preparations for Storm Jocelyn.
The meeting was chaired by First Minister Humza Yousaf and attended by members of the Cabinet, including the Transport Minister, the Met Office, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, SEPA, transport and utilities companies and resilience partners.
While today’s Met Office yellow warning for wind has now been lifted, some rail and ferry services have resumed and all trunk roads have reopened. Power companies are working to restore supplies to more than 15,000 properties, and 17 regional flood alerts and 32 local flood warnings remain.
An amber warning for wind has been issued for the Western Isles, western Highlands, northern coast, Orkney Islands and part of the Moray Firth coast from 1800 tomorrow until 0800 on Wednesday.
A yellow warning for wind covers the rest of Scotland – except the Shetland Islands – from 1600 tomorrow until 1300 on Wednesday. A yellow warning for rain for parts of west and southwest Scotland is also in place from 0700 to 1800 tomorrow.
ScotRail will suspend services from 1900 tomorrow, and there will be no rush hour services on Wednesday morning,
People are urged to continue to check all relevant safety advice issued by the police and other agencies.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “Tragically, Storm Isha has led to lives being lost and I send my sincere condolences to the families affected.
“The strong winds and heavy rain have impacted communities across Scotland. I want to thank all those who have worked throughout the night and today to keep the public safe and respond to those impacts and restore normality.
“But the exceptional weather conditions are not over. Storm Jocelyn is on its way to the UK and is likely to cause more disruption, with another period of strong winds further buffeting our infrastructure and rain falling on already saturated ground.
“Travel is likely to again be difficult, particularly heading into Wednesday’s rush hour, so I urge everyone to follow guidance from Police Scotland and check updates from transport providers, Transport Scotland and the Met Office.”
Martin Thomson, National Operations Manager for Resilience at Transport Scotland, said: “Focus is now shifting onto the next named storm, Jocelyn, for tomorrow into Wednesday, and preparations are already underway with rail, aviation and ferries colleagues to ensure we are as ready as we can be.
“The public can play its part and plan ahead by visiting www.traffic.gov.scot. Staff from our trunk road operating companies will be patrolling the network and undertaking inspections to respond quickly to any further treefall or blocked drains. Their proactive efforts in terms of branch cutting and drain clearing at vulnerable locations has helped minimise disruption in the past.
“Across the wider network, we can expect to see more delays and cancellations with ferries, flights and rail from Tuesday into Wednesday morning. Please check with your public transport operator for the latest information and your local authority and Police Scotland for the latest information on local roads.”
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have warned communities to stay vigilant as the weekend of severe weather continues across Sunday evening and into Monday morning.
Multiple Flood Warnings and Alerts are in place across Scotland, with the focus remaining on the Spey and Tay catchments.
While local Flood Warnings in some areas of Scotland may start coming off over the evening as rivers fall, others will stay in force as some waters continue to rise and the agency continues to warn of likely impacts as communities count the cost of the weekend’s flood damage.
Ruth Ellis, SEPA’s Flood Duty Manager, said: “Today the focus turned to communities across the North, with a particular concern for severe flood impacts to communities along the Spey and Tay rivers.I want to be clear that communities in these areas should stay alert over the evening as some rivers will continue to rise over the course of the evening. The risk to life remains.
“It’s been a difficult weekend across Scotland, with severe weather causing widespread travel disruption to road and rail networks and impacts in communities all over Scotland. Across many areas of the country there is still some deep standing water and it’s really important people understand the danger.
“Hazards can be hidden, so please don’t walk or drive into flood water. Remember that not only is flood water likely to be dirty, 30 cm of fast flowing water can move an average family sized car, and just 15 cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet.
“Our teams have been working around the clock with partner agencies, including Scottish Government, the Met Office, emergency services and local authorities across this major weather event. We will continue to provide information and support in the coming days and weeks to ensure Scotland recovers from this event and becomes more resilient to future flooding.
“We’ll be continuing to issue further updates across the evening to communities across northern Scotland and our advice remains for people to keep up to date with information from sepa.org.uk and follow guidance from emergency services.”
Update 9am, Sun 8th Oct – Flooding focus turns north as SEPA warn communities to stay alert
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have warned communities to stay vigilant as the weekend of severe weather continues across Sunday.
Multiple Flood Warnings and Alerts are in place across Scotland as the agency continues to warn of likely impacts on Sunday and communities count the cost of Saturday’s flood damage.
Vincent Fitzsimons, SEPA’s Flood Duty Manager, said: “It’s been a rough weekend across Scotland, with severe weather causing widespread travel disruption to road and rail networks and impacts in communities from Greenock to Aviemore.
“Our teams have been working around the clock with Scottish Government and the Met Office in the lead into and across this major weather event. We have been issuing Alerts and Warnings to communities at risk and supporting first responders.
“Today the focus continues to turn to communities across the North, with a particular concern for severe flood impacts to communities along the Spey and Tay rivers. It’s a day to stay alert, not stand down. The risk to life remains.
“We’ll be issuing further updates across the day to communities across northern Scotland and our advice remains for people to keep up to date with information from sepa.org.uk and follow guidance from emergency services.”
People are being urged to avoid travel by road in Argyll and Bute and to consider carefully travel in other areas most impacted by the weekend’s severe rainfall.
SEPA has indicated up to a month’s worth of rain could fall in some areas over the course of the weekend. Rainfall is causing significant disruption in parts of Scotland, including road closures and rail service cancellations.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1710746869255520617
On Saturday afternoon the Met Office issued an Amber Warning for rain extending across Angus, Perth and Kinross, Aberdeenshire, Moray and Highland until 2pm on Sunday.
In Argyll and Bute, the Local Resilience Partnership has established a Care for People Sub-Group, led by the local Health and Social Care Partnership, which is working to identify and reach vulnerable people that may be difficult to reach, with assistance from the voluntary sector. Argyll and Bute Council is assisting by contacting community groups in affected areas with a view to initiating local support, such as opening up community halls.
On Friday the Met Office issued an amber warning for rain, covering Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, East and West Dunbartonshire, Argyll and Lochaber, parts of Stirling, Perthshire, Aberdeenshire and the Highlands. It is in place until 6 am on Sunday. Yellow warnings for rain remain in place for other large parts the country and are updated on the Met Office website.
The greatest impacts earlier on Saturday were experienced in Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, East and West Dunbartonshire, Argyll and Lochaber, parts of Stirling, Perthshire, Aberdeenshire and the Highlands. In Argyll and Bute, several roads have been closed due to flooding and landslides, including:
the A83 between Tarbet and Inverary
the A815 between Dunoon and the A83
the A816 between Lochgiphead and Oban
the A85 at Loch Awe
Road operating companies are assisting Police Scotland with the closures and clear up operations, however due to the continuing rainfall it will not be possible to make an assessment of the landslides or undertake clear up operations until conditions improve.
Network Rail has reported many incidents of severe flooding across the network, resulting in widespread cancellations to services. This includes suspension of services between Inverness and Perth. Services running across the whole ScotRail network have been cancelled, delayed or revised.
On Saturday afternoon Justice Secretary and Minister for Resilience Angela Constance chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Committee (SGoRR), which was attended by First Minister Humza Yousaf, Transport Secretary Màiri McAllan, Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop and key responder agencies.
They discussed the immediate response to the local impacts, as well as further actions being taken to support those communities most affected.
Ms Constance said: “As the weather warnings outline, heavy rainfall is expected to continue in many parts of the country into Sunday and some areas will have a month’s worth of rain over the course of the weekend.
“I would urge everyone across the country to heed the travel warnings being issued by Police Scotland and others – in particular, drivers in Argyll and Bute should avoid travel due to the significant disruption across the road network.
“We are aware that the initial, most severe impacts have been felt by people and businesses in Argyll and Bute, as well as other areas in the west and north of the country.
“Ministers are receiving regular updates on the situation from partners, including SEPA, the Met Office, and Police Scotland as it unfolds. This afternoon I convened SGoRR in recognition of the severity of the situation which will continue to develop over the next 24 hours.
“I am grateful for the efforts of partners and volunteers to help the public stay safe and where possible to restore services.
“Anyone seeking live updates should follow these partners organisations on social media, and can also consult the Ready Scotland website for general advice.”
Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said: “Officers have been dealing with significant disruption on the roads caused by the heavy rainfall and we would expect this to continue into Sunday.
“It is important that we do everything we can to keep people safe and officers are out in communities helping those who need us.
“Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary or if it can be delayed until conditions improve. If you need to travel, please drive to the conditions and take extra time for your journey.”
Vincent Fitzsimons, Flood Duty Manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said yesterday: “SEPA has issued Regional Flood Alerts and more locally specific Flood Warnings across Scotland due to the major rainfall event that is bringing prolonged, heavy rain throughout the day and into Sunday.
“I want to be very clear that this is not a normal Autumn day for Scotland. We’re expecting extensive river and surface water flooding in affected areas. There is a danger to life. There will be widespread impacts to road and rail. There is a risk of more significant community scale property flooding.
“Rain will move across central and western parts this morning, moving northwards through the day. Many areas will see heavy rain for well over 24hrs before it clears on Sunday. Of particular concern are communities in the amber area that extends from west central Scotland northwards.
“Further Local Flood Warnings are likely to be issued, people can always check our Flood Updates for all the latest information. We advise people living, working and travelling in the affected areas to consider any steps they need to take now to be prepared for flooding impacts and consider whether their journey is necessary.”
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) issues flood alerts and warnings for Scotland. View the latest updates on their website.
Vincent Fitzsimons, Flood Duty Manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said: “Scotland is experiencing a major rainfall event that is bringing prolonged, heavy rain throughout the day and well into Sunday.
“I want to be very clear that this is not a normal Autumn weekend for Scotland. We’re expecting extensive river and surface water flooding in affected areas. There is a danger to life. There are widespread impacts to road and rail. There is a risk of more significant community scale property flooding.
“Heavy rain has been falling since Friday night in many areas and will continue in northern Scotland throughout Saturday evening and well into Sunday. Some areas will have seen more than a month’s rain by the end of the weekend.
“Of particular concern are communities in the Met Office amber weather warning area that extends across much of northern Scotland. Examples include Aviemore and communities down the Spey Valley, but many more communities are also at risk. SEPA has been working closely with partners to help them target support for these areas.
”People should check our live Flood Updates for all the latest information. We advise people living, working and travelling in the affected areas to consider any steps they need to take now to be prepared for flooding impacts and consider whether their journey is necessary.
“We will continue to keep a very close eye on the situation, monitoring 24/7 as well as working closely with the Met Office and other partner agencies.
“We would strongly advise people to sign up to Floodline to receive free updates and heed emergency service and local authority advice.
NFU Mutual is issuing flood advice as the Met Office issues an amber warning for heavy rain across many Scottish communities.
Up to 180mm of rain could fall throughout Saturday and into Sunday, with Grampian, Central, Tayside, Fife, Strathclyde and the Highlands all in danger of disruptive and dangerous downpours and flooding.
Heavy rain could lead to flash flooding with fast moving water, cutting off transport routes, and leading rural insurer NFU Mutual is urging home and business owners in Scotland to fortify their properties if possible but make safety their priority.
If they are affected by flooding, people should look at how they can work with their insurer to repair their property to be more resilient to flooding in the future.
Andrew Chalk, home insurance specialist at NFU Mutual, said:“Time and again we’ve seen how destructive and disruptive flash flooding can be for communities, and NFU Mutual Agents in Scotland stand ready to rapidly assist people impacted by these predicted downpours – including facilitating rapid payments for smaller claims and mobilising our network of loss adjusters and repairers.
“But the best way to avoid disruption, if possible, is to take some sensible steps provided by NFU Mutual to protect your property. If you have flood defences, activate them now, move valuable possessions and electrical items to higher ground and prepare a flood or extreme weather pack.
“Have your insurer’s details to hand and if you are impacted by flooding, be sure to ask your insurer and loss adjuster about flood resilient repairs. Since 2017, NFU Mutual has offered its Flood Resilient Repair scheme to all home insurance customers. As part of the scheme, customers who suffer flood damage above £10,000 receive a contribution from NFU Mutual to implement repairs which will protect the property from future flooding.
“According to NFU Mutual claims data, the average damage to a home caused by floods in 2022 was £20,706. A flood resilient home, using things like non-return valves, tiling, and resilient materials on lower floors can massively reduce this bill, and many resilient repairs will cost no more than like-for-like repairs.
“With more insurers also now offering flood resilient repairs under the Government-backed Build Back Better scheme, it is worth checking if you can access extra help if you suffer a flood.”
NFU Mutual flood advice
NFU Mutual’s flood preparedness checklist:
Check if your property is at risk of flooding on the Government website.
Sign up for flood alerts on the Government website – these can be sent by text, email or delivered by phone call.
Put a flood plan in place, including:
Moving valuables – including electric items – to a safe space
Thinking about vulnerable members of your household and neighbours
Noting down useful numbers like gas and electricity suppliers, the National Grid, local council and insurer
Ensuring you know how to switch off your mains electricity and gas supply
Consider procuring sandbags or other flood defence systems
Prepare a flood or storm back, including:
Bottled water and snacks
Food for vulnerable household members like babies, children, and elderly relatives
Pet food
Torches with charged batteries
Mobile phone power banks and chargers
What to do if your home is flooded:
Make safety your priority. Keep your family and pets away from the flood water and move to another part of the property.
Call your insurer immediately, asking about alternative accommodation if your property is unsafe.
Contact family and friends.
If you can, switch off mains gas and electricity supplies in the affected area.
Have a pack with essential items like prescriptions, other medicines and food, paying particular attention to items like baby food.
Have a torch and charged mobile phone on hand in case of power cuts.
When it’s safe to enter the flooded area again, catalogue all damaged items for insurance claims and begin clearing and drying out the area, seeking advice from your insurance company.
Business owners should remain in contact with employees and customers.
NFU Mutual’s flood resilient repairs checklist
Flood resilient repairs are repairs carried out following flood damage which help prevent extensive damage in any subsequent flood. Some may come with additional cost, but many will cost no more than restoration. Resilient repairs to ask your loss adjuster or insurer about include:
Raising electrical sockets and white goods away from floor level.
Replacing flooring with waterproof tiling and grout.
Waterproof paint.
Installing flood-resistant, self-sealing air bricks.
Fitting non-return valves to drains to prevent backflow flooding.
Replacing doors with waterproof doors to prevent floodwater spreading.
Fitting flood barriers to doors or air brick covers.
Permeable paving or driveways.
Inflatable toilet pan seals or bungs to prevent backflow.
uPVC skirting boards and kitchen units.
Removable doors.
Basement tanking or pump systems (integrated or portable).
The Scottish Government’s resilience committee (SgoRR) has met again to discuss the impact of winter on NHS and social care, chaired by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Pressures on the system remain acute, despite a slight improvement in A&E waiting time statistics published this week.
The First Minister heard updates on rates of respiratory illness, levels of hospital capacity and actions to alleviate delayed discharge. This includes a nationwide re-assessment of hospital patients who are clinically safe to be discharged, so they can be moved home or to a homely setting as soon as possible.
The meeting was also attended by the Deputy First Minister, Health Secretary and other cabinet ministers, along with the Chief Medical Officer and senior representatives from NHS boards, COSLA, Integration Joint Boards and the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf will also meet NHS24 recruits in Cardonald later today. The trainees are part of around 200 new staff who are set to join the service by the end of March, helping to ensure adequate resource continues to be in place to respond to calls from the public.
The First Minister said: “There is no doubt that we are still seeing very acute demands across most of the health and social care system.
“That means it remains important to continue to pursue every avenue to improve the flow of patients through hospitals, and to ensure people are able to safely leave when they are fit for discharge.
“The measures discussed at SGoRR today are all helping to address these issues, but we remain indebted to the incredible efforts of staff right across the health and social care system for their commitment and hard work during this extremely challenging winter.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon chaired a further meeting of the Scottish Government’s resilience committee (SGoRR) yesterday to discuss the ongoing pressures on the health and social care system.
The group met on Friday morning and assessed issues including the latest situation with respiratory infections, pressures throughout the system, and ongoing work to reduce rates of delayed discharge.
The SGoRR meeting was also attended by Deputy First Minister John Swinney, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, other Cabinet ministers, the Chief Medical Officer and key partners from across the system including senior representatives from NHS boards, COSLA, Integration Joint Boards, NHS24 and the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Earlier this week, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf announced a number of additional measures to address demands on the system, including £8 million to procure around 300 additional care home beds, and NHS24’s plans to take forward recruitment of around 200 new starts before the end of March.
The First Minister’s handling of the health crisis was criticised by opposition parties at Question Time this week and Conservative leader Douglas Ross also called for the sacking of Health Secretary Humzah Yousaf.
The First Minister said: “It is clear that pressure on the NHS and social care system continues to be very high, and that we need to maintain our emphasis on doing everything we can to help the service through the remainder of the winter.
“The measures set out by the Health Secretary earlier in the week will help to address some of the main issues – easing delayed discharge by purchasing additional care beds for those who are fit to leave hospital, and ensuring adequate resource is in place for NHS24.
“The focus of today’s meeting was to ensure that we keep pushing ahead with every possible step to support our tremendous health and social care staff, and ensure the people of Scotland continue to get the care and treatment they need. I would like to thank every single person working in the NHS and care system for the tremendous contribution they are making.”
