Tag: severe weather

Storm Arwen: Learning the Lessons

New processes in place one year on

Organisations across Scotland have put in place a series of measures to protect communities from the effects of severe weather ahead of winter.

It follows a review of the Storm Arwen response published in January 2022, which set out 15 recommendations for the Scottish Government and its partners.

A report published today updates on progress since then, with a range of improvements put in place ahead of winter. These include:

  • A full winter readiness exercise carried out by emergency responders across every area in Scotland by the end of November
  • A new online learning and training hub to help individuals, community groups and the voluntary sector to prepare, respond and recover from emergencies
  • The development of a new process to monitor and evaluate Scotland’s resilience system annually to identify and resolve issues quickly and effectively
  • Increased integration and engagement with the voluntary sector, and expansion of local directories of assets and capabilities to support resilience activity

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans, Keith Brown, said: “The Scottish Government committed to a full review of the circumstances of Storm Arwen, and this report demonstrates clearly the range of work that is underway to ensure that lessons are learned. 

“Our responder community, including our blue light services and our local authorities, will put these recommendations in place and we will support them to ensure our resilience arrangements continue to strengthen to protect communities.”

Chair of the Scottish Resilience Partnership Jim Savege said: “Responders have worked hard through the year, reviewing the risks we need to be prepared for, planning and exercising and making sure we are as prepared as we all can be for any future events and incidents we may have to respond to.

“More than ever, emergency services have considered wider risks that may be realised, and the growing reality of having to deal with concurrent risks and incidents.

“Significant additional work has been invested this year into working with voluntary organisations and communities to ensure their resilience and their ability to deal with incidents has been enhanced. Community and business resilience are the bedrock upon which emergency services work and respond.

“The SRP is grateful for all of the work that so many colleagues have invested in ensuring we are as prepared as we can be for the winter ahead.”

Strengthening Scotland’s resilience to severe weather

Lessons to be learned from Storm Arwen

A range of changes are to be put in place to strengthen national resilience and protect lives, homes and infrastructure from the impacts of future severe weather events.

A review of the preparations for and response to Storm Arwen sets out 15 recommendations for the Scottish Government and its partners, the Scottish Resilience Partnership, local resilience partnerships, utility companies, the voluntary sector and national responders.  

Key recommendations include improved processes for identifying and assisting those most at risk, and bringing the voluntary and community sector into the heart of local resilience planning and response arrangements.  This will involve maximising access to a suitable volunteer pool during future events of a similar nature.

The government will track progress against the recommendations and provide a further update this June. 

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Following the widespread disruption and devastation caused by Storm Arwen, I committed to a full review of the preparations and response to ensure that we take all the learning from this exceptional storm. 

“We already have strong and robust arrangements in place to manage and address weather-related resilience issues at national, regional and local levels, but I want to ensure that our arrangements continue to evolve and strengthen for the future, which is what this review will help deliver.

“The experience of Storm Arwen underlined the vital role of volunteers and community groups in ensuring the welfare of those around them. That is why we intend to bring the voluntary and community sector into the heart of local resilience planning to ensure they are fully integrated into arrangements for the future.

“In addition, we will improve processes to help us identify those people who are most at risk, in order to direct and provide help as quickly as possible.

“We recognise the urgent need to prepare for increased severe weather as a consequence of the climate emergency, and to ensure arrangements in relation to our energy supply are as robust as possible as we transition towards net zero.”

Chair of the Scottish Resilience Partnership Jim Savege said: “Storm Arwen was a particularly severe weather event that required a significant response from emergency responders, utility companies and communities over an extended period of time.

“I would want to recognise and thank all of those involved in the response for their efforts in helping ensure communities across affected areas were supported and helped where needed.

“As with every incident there is always learning and improvement to be had – the report sets out a range of areas where we can continue to strengthen our resilience as a country in preparation for any future events.”

A review into the response to Storm Arwen

Support targeted at most vulnerable as Scotland recovers from Storm Arwen

Deputy First Minister John Swinney has chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) on the continuing impacts of Storm Arwen and has been briefed that the recovery is going to be greater and more challenging than first anticipated.

Last night’s update focused on the scale and severity of the adverse weather which will see a number of homes across the country remain without power overnight and continuing telecommunication and water issues.    

Significant efforts are ongoing to restore power as soon as possible and welfare support is being concentrated on the people and households who are most vulnerable and have the greatest need.

Mr Swinney said: “The scale of the damage caused by Storm Arwen is worse than we first feared and as a result our recovery will take longer than anticipated.

“We know this will create significant challenges for communities and households still affected by the storm’s impacts and I want to reassure them we are doing everything we can, liaising with local resilience partnerships, to focus efforts and resources. 

“We have been working closely and at pace with power companies who are maximising efforts to restore services to households currently without power.

“Plans are being put in place for further assistance to respond to the longer than expected recovery and we are concentrating getting power restored for vulnerable people and those who need it most.

“In extremely challenging circumstances we have seen an outstanding response from local resilience partnerships who have been providing vital support to local residents and I would like to thank them for their continuing efforts.”

Storm Arwen sees calls to SFRS almost triple

Over the twenty-four-hour period from 7am on Friday, November 26, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service received more than 900 emergency calls – almost three times the normal number – with more than 500 of these being due to the impact of the severe weather associated with Storm Arwen affecting many areas of the country.

During this same period of time, firefighters were mobilised to more than 500 incidents, many of which were related to high winds, with areas in the North and East of Scotland being worst affected.

Between 3pm and midnight on Friday, November 26 the Service’s Operations Control rooms in Dundee and Edinburgh received more than 500 weather related emergency calls, which included calls for assistance to make damaged buildings safe and road traffic collisions. 

The impact of the weather was also felt by the Service, with damage to the roof of Altens Community Fire Station in Aberdeen.

On duty firefighters and appliances were deployed to neighbouring stations to ensure fire cover for the area was maintained. In addition, a fire appliance from Galashiels in the Borders was struck by falling trees during the storm while attending an incident and the firefighters were removed to safety with no injuries recorded.

John Dickie is an Assistant Chief Officer in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. He said: “This has been an exceptional weather event and a challenging night where we received a high number of weather related calls.

“We have seen high numbers of emergency calls from the Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Fife, East Lothian and Scottish Borders areas where many buildings were damaged by the high winds – resulting in a significant localised response.

“Firefighters also attended a number of other incidents including road traffic collisions and fires.

“My thanks must go to our firefighters and Operations Control staff for their outstanding work overnight in very challenging conditions, and to our partners for their continued assistance.”

For safety advice on severe weather visit – https://www.readyscotland.org/are-you-ready/severe-weather/

For the latest forecast where you are:

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice

Flooding outlook update

Sunday 13 September: 11:00am

75mm OF RAINFALL OVERNIGHT AT REST AND BE THANKFUL AS REGIONAL FLOOD ALERTS REMAIN IN FORCE FOR NORTH WEST SCOTLAND

75mm of rain fell in a 24 hour period at the Rest and Be Thankful,  Argyll as Scotland faced a weekend of wet weather. 

On Saturday and overnight, Scotland’s flood forecasting and warning service had 10 Regional Flood Alerts and 7 Local Flood Warnings in force.  In total, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency said that between 70mm – 80mm fell across the day yesterday and overnight, with further rain and flooding impacts predicted across the North West of Sunday.

Mark Franklin, SEPA’s Duty Flood Manager, said: “Yet again we’ve seen Scotland battered by another weekend of wet weather, with flooding impacts across West, Central, North and Southern Scotland. 

“At the Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll, the subject of a second landslip in a matter of weeks, we saw 75mm of rain in a 24 hour period and across the country we saw rainfall of between 70-80mm. 

“Our 24/7 flood forecasting and warning centre saw people responding well to our 10 Regional Flood Alerts and 7 Local Flood Warnings and we want to thank those who signed-up overnight for our free Floodline service.

“Whilst Sunday see’s an improving picture for Central and Southern Scotland, we’ll see continued heavy rainfall across the day for the North West.  This is likely to result in further localised flooding of land and roads, as well as some transport disruption before improving on Monday.  People living, working and travelling in these areas are advised to ensure they have signed up to Floodline and are prepared to take action to protect property. Advice on what you can do to prepare can be found at floodlinescotland.org.uk.”

Rainfall Data:

Staying informed

Be prepared and stay safe

  • Check Floodline – visit sepa.org.uk/floodupdates
  • Don’t walk through flood water – 15cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet and hazards can be hidden under the water.
  • On the road or on public transport we can expect difficult conditions.
  • Drive with care, and do not travel through deep fast flowing water. It only takes 30cm of fast flowing water to move an average family sized car.
  • If you are walking beside rivers be extra careful of wet footpaths and possibly small watercourses in spate.

What’s the difference between a Flood Alert and a Flood Warning?

We use forecast weather information provided by the Met Office combined with our own observation of rainfall and river levels and advanced hydrological modelling to provide advance warning of flooding.

  • Regional Flood Alerts are early advice that flooding is possible across a wider geographical area. The purpose of the Alerts is to make people aware of the risk of flooding and be prepared. We normally issue them 12 to 24 hours in advance of the possibility of flooding.
  • Flood Warnings are more locally specific and are issued for areas where we have gauges on rivers to measure the exact river height. They are issued at shorter notice when we are more certain that a specific area will be affected.

Today’s Area of Concern Map

  • Area A Area of most significant rainfall for Sunday – people living, working and travelling in these areas are advised to ensure they have signed up to Floodline and are prepared to take action to protect property. Advice on what you can do to prepare can be found at floodlinescotland.org.uk/
  • Area B Area of further rainfall.
MediaAOC13Sep

Edinburgh College closed again tomorrow

All college campuses will be closed again tomorrow (Friday 2 March).

We hoped to be able to reopen but the continuing disruption caused by the weather means we have decided it is safest to stay closed. An amber weather warning remains in place, schools will be shut, and roads and public transport may still be disrupted. Our food outlets won’t receive any deliveries until Monday so we can’t provide full catering. We’re also not certain if our campuses can be kept fully cleared and gritted, with further snow possible.

We don’t close the college lightly but hopefully you understand why we’re doing it. It’s important you can get to college safely to study in the best possible conditions on campus, but at the moment that just isn’t possible.

We should be open again on Monday morning so, unless you hear otherwise, please come in as normal. We’ll send out another update on Sunday anyway to confirm.

As classes aren’t on at the moment, it’s important that you continue with self-directed study, to catch up on work or to get ahead of your revision. Moodle is available so please use the study resources available.

If you’re an apprentice, please remember to check in with your employer.

Keep an eye on the college’s social media and website for further info if needed. If the weather calms down over the next few days as we expect, we’ll see you back at college on Monday.

Stay warm and safe for now.

Annette Bruton
Edinburgh College Principal

Batten down the hatches ahead of Ophelia’s UK arrival

On 30th anniversary of the 1987 Great Storm, windy weather forecast for the west of the UK – protect your home and business now …

Aviva is advising homeowners and businesses to take basic precautions to protect themselves and their property ahead of heavy downpours and very strong winds from ex-tropical storm Ophelia, which are forecast to hit the west coast of the UK early next week.

The tail-end of the US tropical storm is due to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Great Storm of 15/16 October 1987, which caused winds of over 100mph, significant damage across the UK and killed 18 people.

Although we know from history that precise forecasting can be difficult, Aviva has its network of contractors and property claims experts on stand by across the country and its contact centres are available 24/7 to help those who might be affected by the forecast unsettled weather. 

Rob Townend, claims director for Aviva said: “While it’s unclear yet how severe the storm will be, high winds and heavy rain could cause havoc to homes and businesses.  But some simple measures can help to minimise any damage. For example, secure your fences, doors and windows and be aware that you may face disruption to your travel plans.

“Our claims teams are ready and here to help if your property or car has been damaged as a direct result of storm force conditions. We can also arrange alternative accommodation for you if the damage means you need to move out of your home temporarily.”

Customers wishing to make a claim should contact:

  • For home insurance – call 0345 030 6945 or you can report a claim online on MyAviva at your convenience to get your claim reference
  • For car insurance: call 0345 030 6925 or report a claim online at MyAviva
  • For business insurance:  contact your broker or for commercial property claims call 0800 015 1498, for commercial motor 0800 246 876 and for motor trade 0800 0466 229. 

What to do before the storm

  • If possible park the car in a garage, or away from large trees
  • If time allows and it is safe to do so check for loose tiles on the roof, secure any weak fencing etc to minimise the risk of causing damage to other parts of your property.
  • Safely store or secure any garden furniture, ornaments, bikes or children’s toys/outside play equipment.
  • Make sure all doors and windows are closed.
  • In the event of an electrical storm remove the aerial from the TV set 

What to do after the storm

Call your insurer immediately if your property suffers damage. Aviva’s team of experts will be able to give you advice on how to prevent further damage and will help you with your claim to get your property back to the way it was.

This video provides some handy tips and advice for protecting homes ahead of storm weather