Scotland is bracing itself for a rare red weather warning of heavy rain and severe wind. Storm Babet is expected to bring “exceptional rainfall” which will cause severe flooding and risk to life on Thursday and Friday. The worst affected areas are likely to be around Angus and Aberdeenshire. The Met Office weather warning runs from 18:00 on Thursday until noon on Friday. There could also be power cuts and some areas could be cut off for days.
The red warning states there is “danger to life from fast flowing or deep floodwater” in Aberdeenshire and Angus, with extensive flooding and road closures also expected. Amber warnings remain in place across other parts of north east Scotland and the Highlands on Thursday and Friday, with yellow warnings covering much of the country through until Saturday. Yellow severe weather warnings of wind and rain have also been issued for Northern Ireland – which has already been hit by heavy rain and flooding on Wednesday – and northern and eastern areas of England.
Storm Babet, a complex area of low pressure which developed to the west of the Iberian Peninsula, was named by the Met Office on Monday morning. Many of the affected areas are still saturated by heavy rain that caused flooding earlier this month. ScotRail has warned people travelling on Thursday and Friday to check journeys in advance, with Storm Babet likely to cause disruption to services. Aberdeenshire Council is urging residents to take advantage of sandbags to help protect properties.
The RNLI warned the strong winds that have been forecast along with heavy rain are likely to cause dangerous conditions for those visiting the coast around the UK and Ireland. RNLI water safety partner Sam Hughes said: “The RNLI advises staying a safe distance away from the water and cliff edges as the conditions could knock you off your feet or wash you into the sea. It is not worth risking your life.” The Met Office said the last red warning issued in the UK was for extreme heat in July of last year. The last UK red warning for rain was in February 2020 in South Wales for Storm Dennis, while the last in Scotland was in December 2015 for Storm Desmond
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More