Storm Babet: Woman dies after being swept into river amid ‘unprecendented rainfall’ in Scotland
A woman has died and hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes amid “unprecedented” levels of rainfall from Storm Babet.
Thousands more homes across eastern Scotland have been left without power due to the destructive storm – which has prompted a rare red warning from the Met Office.
Shona Robison, Scotland’s deputy first minister, has warned the worst impacts of the storm are yet to come.
Police say a 57-year-old woman died after being swept into the Water of Lee, a river in the eastern area of Angus.
Officials have also warned that the River South Esk, which runs through the town of Brechin, could be about to breach flood defences.
Storm Babet latest: Body found in river; evacuation order in place
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
River overtops bridge in Scotland
‘Serious risk to life’
Angus Council say the river could soon reach “unprecedented” levels.
“The latest modelling is that river levels could reach an unprecedented 5 metres above normal levels,” the council said.
“The Brechin flood defences are designed to deal with river levels of 3.8 metres.
“This means that there is a serious risk to life from excessive flooding.”
A fallen tree in Brechin
Earlier, the authority ordered the evacuation of 400 homes in and around the town of Brechin.
Fire crews and the coastguard have been involved in the evacuation efforts.
Rest centres have been set up in Brechin, Montrose and Forfar.
Four severe flood warnings are in place along the South Esk and North Esk – for Brechin, Marykirk, Logie Mill and Craigo, and Finavon and Tannadice.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has issued 12 flood alerts and 16 flood warnings.
It had earlier warned of “unprecedented” levels of rain for the north east of Scotland.
Read more from Sky News:
Nine British people killed in Hamas attack
Storm Babet forces evacuations in red alert area
Some 18,500 homes in Scotland have been hit by power cuts, according to the Scottish and Southern Electricity Network (SSEN).
There has also been disruption due to travel, including on the train lines where a number of services have been cancelled, while flights to and from Aberdeen Airport have been cancelled due to the storm.
A number of attractions across Aberdeenshire have been forced to close, including the grounds of the royal residence, Balmoral Castle.
Funerals in Aberdeenshire have also been postponed until at least next week, the council has said.
Videos have also emerged of huge waves hitting Stonehaven Harbour in Aberdeenshire.
‘Protecting public our priority’
Following a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) on Thursday evening, Deputy First Minister Shona Robison said: “Protecting the public is our immediate priority and we are co-ordinating a national effort to ensure that people are safe.”
Waves seen crashing into Stonehaven Harbour in Aberdeenshire
Waves seen crashing into Stonehaven Harbour in Aberdeenshire
Ms Robison added: “The red warning has been expanded to cover further parts of Scotland and we expect weather conditions to deteriorate seriously overnight.
“Our message is clear – if you live in the areas covered by the red warning, please stay at home and do not travel, unless advised to relocate to a rest centre.
“With weather warnings in place for much of the country, I would urge everyone to be vigilant and to exercise extreme caution.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
The unusual nature of Storm Babet
Met Office extends red alert
On Thursday, the Met Office extended its red weather warning from Aberdeenshire and Angus in eastern Scotland to cover the area north of Perth and Aberfeldy on Thursday.
The storm could bring up to 220mm of rain in some areas of eastern Scotland, an amount close to the highest ever 24-hour total for a “rainfall day”, Met Office figures show.
The storm is expected to rage overnight and into the weekend, with amber warnings for wind and rain issued for parts of northern England, the Midlands and northern Wales from noon on Friday to 6am on Saturday.
The Met Office weather warnings for Friday 20 October
But amber warnings still raise the prospect of injuries and danger to life, power cuts and damage to buildings and flooding.
A yellow warning for Northern Ireland is also in place from 3am on Friday to 9am on Saturday.
A further yellow rain warning covering the north and east of England and north Wales is also in place from midnight on Thursday to 6am on Saturday.
Storm Babet hit Ireland on Wednesday after sweeping in from the Atlantic, bringing with it heavy rainfall and causing extensive flooding in parts of the country.
Travellers have been warned to expect disruption to trains in Scotland today as the country continues to feel the effects of Storm Floris.
Services are likely to be affected as the storm – which brought winds of up to 124mph on Monday, bringing down trees and power lines, closing roads and cancelling flights – blows through.
The Scottish government held an emergency meeting last night to discuss the “significant disruption” caused and the efforts under way to recover, as rail operators look to clear routes covered by debris and utilities firms work to reconnect properties experiencing power outages.
Ross Moran, Network Rail Scotland’s route director, said teams had been “working tirelessly to keep services moving where possible and to clear fallen trees and debris from the tracks”.
By the evening, their focus had switched to “inspecting routes which have been closed by fallen trees, debris and other damage”, and work will continue into today.
“We’re grateful to passengers for their patience whilst we do this,” Mr Moran added.
(L-R) Frances Kusz, Jack Kusz, Paul Audoire and Robert Kusz waiting at Glasgow Central Station. Pic: PA
Most weather warnings have expired, but a yellow warning for wind is in place until 8am over the Shetland Islands and Orkney, and showers will remain throughout the rest of Scotland.
Rail, road, and ferry travel was disrupted by the storm on Monday, as 100 Edinburgh Fringe events were cancelled, according to organisers.
At one point, more than 30,000 people were without power.
A worker removes a fallen tree on the A82 road near Onich. Both pics: Reuters
At least 68 flights were cancelled, aviation analytics firm Cirium said, with Aberdeen and Belfast City the worst-affected airports.
Western coastal areas bore the brunt of the storm, but strong winds and heavy rain affected much of the rest of the country.
Police received “multiple reports” of camper vans blown over on the A87 between Broadford and Portree on Skye, while in Aberdeenshire the A96 was closed in both directions near Old Rayne because of fallen trees.
Fallen trees have also seen a number of other roads closed, including the A95 Rosarie road in both directions, while the A9 at Daviot was partially blocked by a fallen tree and the A1 Tyne Bridge was only open to cars and single-decker buses.
Read more on Sky News:
First female MI5 chief dies
Girl, 4, dies at water park
How Euros star juggled studies and training
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Watch: Bumpy landing for plane in Storm Floris
Those driving in poor weather have been urged to avoid the worst-hit areas and slow down when on the roads while allowing time for delays.
Ferries have also seen widespread disruption, with ferry operator CalMac cancelling a number of sailings because of high winds.
Monday’s top wind speed was 124mph at Cairngorm, a mountain range in northern Scotland, according to Met Office data.
Sky News weather producer Christopher England said Tuesday would be a “much calmer”, though still windy – see your local forecast here.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike