Scotland braces for up to ONE FOOT of rain: Storm Babet’s torrents inch north after causing flooding chaos in Ireland and sparking commuter hell in southern England
- A month’s worth of rain could fall on parts of Scotland in just 24 hours today
Up to a foot of rain could be dumped on Scotland in just 24 hours with the potential to cause life-threatening floods and strong winds as Storm Babet inches up Britain.
A near-record amount of precipitation is predicted to fall on areas of Perthshire and Aberdeenshire today and tomorrow as the low pressure system crawls its way north.
The second named storm of the season has brought a slew of weather warnings with it and has already wreaked havoc with flooding in Ireland and causing commuter chaos and felling trees in England.
The Met Office has issued an incredibly rare red warning for heavy rainfall tonight and tomorrow morning, predicting there would be a ‘danger to life from fast flowing or deep floodwater’ in some areas.
Forecasters are warning that the torrents that could drop a month’s worth of rain, combined with gusts of up to 70mph, could leave some people cut off from outside assistance for days.
Storm Babet brought heavy flooding to the town of Midleton in County Cork, Ireland, on Wednesday
The storm has brought high wind which tore down this tree in Littlehampton, Sussex, on Wednesday night
Students in Nottingham braved the rain brought by the storm as they went for a night out in the city on Wednesday
The Met Office has warned that Scotland will be the worst hit area, with radar showing heavy rainfall over the country this morning
The complex low-pressure weather system, which formed off the coast of Spain and Portugal in the Atlantic last week, could drop up to 10 inches of rain in some areas – just one inch short of the record 11 inches which fell in Martinstown, Dorset on July 18, 1955.
Storm Babet LIVE: Met Office issues red weather warning across the UK with ‘danger to life’ risks – as Scotland and Devon face catastrophic floods and travel disruptions
Meteorologists have said that Scotland will be the worst hit area, with the Met Office issuing seven weather warnings for heavy rain and high winds. Alerts are also in place for rain in northern England and Northern Ireland.
The service has released dire warnings that there could be ‘extensive flooding to homes and businesses’ as well as ‘collapsed or damaged buildings or structures’.
Its red warning – the first issued since Storm Dennis in February 2020 – covers parts of eastern Scotland from 6pm today until 12pm tomorrow.
The Met Office said: ‘There is now high confidence in exceptional rainfall falling across southeast Grampian, particularly the uplands of Angus and south Aberdeenshire.
‘100-150mm of rain is expected to fall widely within 24 hours with some locations likely to see 200-250mm of rain which is expected to cause considerable impacts both where it falls and lower lying areas further east.’
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has also issued flood alerts for large parts of eastern Scotland for today and tomorrow, warning that there will be ‘widespread flooding affecting whole communities’ which could lead to ‘large scale evacuations’.
Forecasters also warned that wind speeds of up to 70mph would cause large waves on the coast, debris from roofs as well as power cuts and disruption to travel.
The Met Office has issued numerous weather warnings for heavy rain and high winds in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland
Huge waves seen in Teignmouth South Devon on Wednesday as storm Babet ploughed into southern England and Ireland
A car submerged in water following floods in Cork City after storm Babet brought a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours
Angus Council which covers parts of Aberdeenshire, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross, said the severe weather warnings were ‘unprecedented’, and schools would be closing at lunchtime on Thursday, and all day Friday.
A Met Office spokesman said the red warning area covered from just north of Dundee up towards Aberdeen, and inland towards Balmoral.
Angus council said Sepa advised that the North and South Esk River were at greatest risk of flooding and sand bags were being distributed, with flood prevention schemes utilised in Brechin and Arbroath.
A spokesman for Angus Council said: ‘Although red warnings are extremely rare, Angus is used to severe adverse weather conditions, and has robust resilience plans in place with local teams preparing to respond to the situation as it develops.
‘We are working closely with our resilience partners and will continue to work together as the days unfold. The focus of our energies and resources are on the areas of greatest need, focusing on preserving life and ensuring the safety of our citizens.’
Chief meteorologist Jason Kelly said: ‘Confidence has increased in the chances of considerable impacts from rainfall in parts of the east of Scotland from Storm Babet, which has resulted in the escalation to the red warning.
‘One hundred to 150mm of rain is expected to fall quite widely within the warning period, with some locations likely to see 200-250mm, which is expected to cause considerable impacts, with flooding likely.’
He continued: ‘Storm Babet will track gradually northwards in the coming days, and although the most significant impacts are expected within the red and amber warning areas, there will still be wider impacts for much of the UK from this wind and rain.’
David Morgan, flood duty manager for SEPA, urged people in the affected areas to check for flood updates in the coming days.
He said: ‘Storm Babet will bring heavy rain and high winds across Scotland from Wednesday evening, starting in the south-west before moving across to the north-east through Thursday and into the weekend.
READ MORE: Humza Yousaf issues ‘do not travel’ warning for Scotland after trains are suspended and ferry crossings are cancelled as Storm Babet hits UK
‘Impacts from surface water and rivers are likely, and with catchments saturated from recent heavy rain and flooding, we’re urging people to be prepared for potential flooding.
‘There is also concern that surface-water flooding may be exacerbated by debris blocking drainage, culverts, etc. as a result of the high winds.’
A taste of the chaos to come was seen on Wednesday in Ireland as Babet powered into the British Isles from the Atlantic.
More than 100 homes had to be evacuated in Cork after a month’s worth of rain was dumped on the southern country in the space of 24 hours, with the army being called in to help.
The town centre of Midleton has become partly submerged under heavy floods and almost 1,000 homes and businesses have experienced power outages. The Gardaí told the Irish Examiner that the town was ‘impassable to traffic due to the ongoing adverse weather conditions’.
Across the Irish sea in England there was travel chaos as trains between London and the West Country were delayed due to the weather.
One person on X, formerly known as Twitter, said Paddington Station was ‘packed’ due to the cancellations of trains. While another described the situation as ‘total chaos’.
High winds also brought trees to the ground in southern counties such as Sussex, as well as dramatic waves on the coast of Devon.
A member of the public struggles in the wind and rain with an umbrella in a windswept Brighton, East Sussex, on Wednesday afternoon
However, the worst affects were felt in Ireland, where people were urged to completely avoid the town of Midleton after it suffered the ‘worst flooding in living memory’.
In a statement, Cork County Council said: ‘Midleton town is currently impassable with over 100 properties flooded. The council has established a coordination centre in Midleton Fire Station to coordinate arrangements. A rest centre in Midleton Community Centre has been established to facilitate persons who require evacuation.’
Tanaiste Micheal Martin and Minister Simon Coveney, both from Co Cork, said the Government will provide support through the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme.
Mr Coveney said the flooding had ’caused carnage’ across the county while Environment Minister Eamon Ryan said his ‘heart goes out to all the residents and businesses’ affected following Storm Babet.
Independent councillor for East Cork Liam Quaide said the scenes of flooding on Mill Street and Main Street in Midleton were ‘apocalyptic’.
Mr Quaide told the PA news agency: ‘My wife and I were bringing our daughter home from CUH today and we got stranded for several hours with many other local residents on the outskirts of town as both roads home were off limits. We tried a couple of perilous detours and had to turn back.
‘The scenes of devastation in Midleton today were an ominous sign of what is ahead of us as a nation if we don’t double down on climate mitigation and adaptation.
‘I’d like to commend the heroic work of Cork County Council staff, the Fire Service and Civil Defence Forces who worked around the clock evacuating and providing assistance to many people in distress.’
Source: Read Full Article
