UK weather: Flood-hit areas face fresh downpours as new yellow alert issued

Flood-hit Scots are being warned of a fresh deluge with two days of “persistent and occasionally heavy rain” forecast to sweep the northeast of the country.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather alert from 12pm on Thursday through to midday on Saturday.

The warning covers many of the areas that were severely impacted by Storm Babet, which brought immense rain and devastating flooding to parts of the UK.

Parts of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee and Perthshire are expected to be worst hit.

Brechin – which saw hundreds of residents evacuated during Storm Babet after the River South Esk burst its banks and flooded parts of the town – is to be pummelled by rain again.

Forecasters warned: “Persistent and occasionally heavy rain may lead to some flooding and transport disruption in places.”

Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and road closures, with the Met Office also warning of possible delays and cancellations to train and bus services.

The Met Office added: “There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings.”

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency said it will be monitoring the situation and will issue localised flood warnings as required.

David Scott, SEPA’s flood duty manager, said: “Following last week’s severe weather event, people in communities in the northeast are still recovering from extensive river and surface water flooding impacts, and with more rain forecast for the coming days we understand that people may be concerned.

“The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for rain starting on Thursday, but we are not looking at totals anywhere near what was experienced during Storm Babet and river levels are not forecast to be as high.

“Forecasts show accumulations over the three days will widely be around 20mm to 30mm, with 50mm to 70mm likely to fall over higher ground. There is a lower probability of 80mm to 100mm in a few locations.

“For context, during the weekend of Storm Babet, the northeast experienced 200mm to 250mm of rainfall in 48 hours.”

Although widespread significant flooding is not expected, further rain could affect areas where floodwaters remain.

Read more:
Why Storm Babet brought so much rain

Seven people across the UK are believed to have died as a result of Storm Babet.

Wendy Taylor, 57, was swept away in the Water of Lee, Glen Esk, on Thursday.

John Gillan, 56, from Arbroath, also died on Thursday after a tree struck his van on the B9127 at Whigstreet, south of Forfar in Angus.

Peter Pelling, 61, died after his car became trapped in floodwater near Marykirk in Aberdeenshire on Friday. His body was recovered on Monday.

Mother and daughter Cheryl Woods, 61, and Sarha Smith, 40, of Caerphilly, South Wales, died in a five-vehicle crash on the M4 on Friday morning, which is believed to have been weather-related.

A man in his 60s died after getting caught in fast-flowing floodwater in the town of Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, on Friday.

Maureen Gilbert, 83, also died after her home in Chesterfield flooded.

Her son told Sky News how he found her body floating in the water at the property on Saturday.