Rainfall and river levels ease as Scotland continues to recover from Storm Babet
Alerts and Warnings as at 12:00 – check floodline.sepa.org.uk/floodupdates for latest situation
- 5 regional Flood Alerts
- 2 localised Flood Warnings
- Rivers levels across the North and North East of Scotland remain high but will continue to improve across Sunday, with no rain forecast for the next two days.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have begun to remove regional Flood Alerts and localised Flood Warnings – though these will remain in the areas most impacted by Storm Babet as work to assist communities continues. All Severe Flood Warnings were removed late Saturday afternoon.
People are urged to stay safe and stay out of flood waters, which remain in many areas across the region, to avoid putting more pressure on recovery efforts.
Vincent Fitzsimons, SEPA’s Flood Duty Manager, said: ““The last week has been very challenging for people in Scottish communities, who have experienced another severe weather event.
“ While the weather is an improving picture today, and rivers will continue to fall throughout the day, it’s important to remember that there are still hazards caused by flood waters and it’s important not to put yourself at risk.
“SEPA are removing the majority of local Flood Warnings but regional Flood Alerts remain in force in areas like Tayside and Aberdeenshire. This reflects not only the dangers which still exist from standing flood water, and fast flowing river water, but also that there are important recovery activities underway.
“Continue to follow the advice of the emergency services. Remember that not only is flood water likely to be dirty, hazards can be hidden – so please don’t walk or drive into it. We also urge people to keep away from any riverbank and manmade waterside infrastructures which may have been affected by the severe impacts experienced.
“SEPA’s flooding staff monitor weather forecasts, river levels and flood forecasting models 24/7 throughout the year and will collate the data, feeding this back into our models so that we can continue to provide our partner agencies with the best information available to us.
“This week’s events have shown the importance of early forecasts and warnings for communities and early engagement with partners so they can target support on the ground to those communities that need it most.
“SEPA and the Met Office worked together to advise on the risk of flooding from several days in advance of this event. While early information won’t stop it flooding, it does mean you have time to take action to prepare, so if you haven’t already signed up to Floodline to receive free Flood Alerts and Warnings directly to your phone, do it now – don’t wait until the next flood event to take action.”
SEPA continues to work with the Met Office to monitor the situation 24/7. As well as live information at Flood Updates, people can check the three-day Scottish Flood Forecast to see what conditions are expected.
The Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) met last night to discuss the exceptional levels of rain in parts of Scotland this weekend. The meeting was chaired by the Justice Secretary Angela Constance.
Resilience Partners include: Regional Resilience Partnerships for the three regions of Scotland; the Met Office; Scottish Water; Scottish Gas Networks; SSEN; and Scottish Power Energy Networks.
The Met Office Red Warning that was in place in parts of Scotland has now been lifted. Amber and yellow warnings are still in force throughout the coming hours with some impacts possible.
Parts of Scotland are still in the midst of dealing with severe flooding impacts and some rivers remain at hazardous levels. There are still Flood Alerts and Warnings in force so people are asked to remain vigilant.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “Storm Babet’s exceptional level of rain has severely impacted parts of Scotland. Tragically, the storm has led to lives being lost and I send my sincere condolences to the families affected.
“While the Red warning has now passed, rain does continue to fall and I urge people in areas with amber and yellow weather warnings to continue to follow advice from emergency services and local authorities.
“Our priority remains to keep the public safe and I want to thank all those who have worked tirelessly, in very challenging conditions, to respond to this exceptional weather event.
“The storm has caused significant damage and while flooding is still occurring, it is not expected to be as serious as over the last 24 hours. The impact, however, will be felt in communities for some time to come.
“While many local authorities are still responding to the immediate impacts of the storm, thoughts are now turning to recovery. Over the coming days and weeks, we will stay in close contact with local authorities to support the people and businesses affected.”
Assistant Chief Constable of Police Scotland Stuart Houston said: “We are seeing an improving weather picture, but conditions remain extremely challenging, particularly in the worst affected areas in Tayside.
“A number of roads remain closed due to flooding, while driving conditions on others are extremely hazardous due to surface water.
“I would urge drivers to follow travel advice, prepare for potential disruption and allow extra time for journeys. People should consider if travel in the worst affected areas is essential or if journeys can be delayed until conditions improve further.
“It is also vital that people stay away from flooded areas as these remain highly dangerous due to the extreme conditions of the last few days.”
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) issues regional flood alerts and local flood warnings for Scotland. View the latest updates on their 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.