The Met Office has issued a rare Red “danger to life” warning for the next 24 hours as Storm Babet continues to take hold of the UK.
Parts of Scotland have been place on a red weather warning a flooding continues to batter the north with “prolonged and heavy rain.”
The fresh warning is in place for eastern Scotland which starts from midnight for 24 hours in Angus and Aberdeenshire.
The Met Office said, “Prolonged and very heavy rain is expected to develop across parts of Angus and Aberdeenshire area throughout Saturday, in areas already affected by severe flooding.
“Accumulations of 70 to 100 mm are expected over a period of 18 to 24 hours, the highest accumulations over the hills. Less rainfall is expected around coastal areas but impacts from the higher rainfall further west will extend towards the coast.”
⚠️⚠️🔴 Red weather warning issued🔴⚠️⚠️
Exceptionally heavy and persistent rain across eastern Scotland
Saturday 0000 – 2359
Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs
Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/30IaJ7E00H
— Met Office (@metoffice) October 20, 2023
It adds, “Following on from wet weather on Thursday, a further spell of persistent and at times heavy rain will affect parts of southeast Scotland and northern England during Friday, lasting into early Saturday.
“Widely 40-60 mm of rain is likely to fall, but the east-facing high ground from southeast Scotland to the Cheviots, south to the Peak District may see between 80 and 120 mm of rain locally. Strong easterly winds may exacerbate the impacts of the heavy rain.”
The alert concluded for northern Scotland, “Although the rain will ease for a time, a further spell of heavy, prolonged and disruptive rainfall will develop later Friday and through Saturday.
“Accumulations of 50 to 100 mm are expected across parts of northern and eastern Scotland throughout this period. Separate Amber and Red warnings are in place for parts of northern and eastern Scotland where higher rainfall amounts are expected to lead to greater impacts.
“The rain will be accompanied by very strong easterly winds across parts of Scotland, which could exacerbate impacts.”
Pascal Lardet, SEPA Flood Duty Manager warned to be prepared for potential flooding, he said, “There is exceptional rainfall forecast for parts of Scotland over the next 24 hours, and this will lead to significant flooding from both surface water and rivers.
“Regional Flood Alerts were issued over the last two days to provide early awareness, and localised Flood Warnings started to be issued this morning. More will be issued across the day, so I do encourage people to check our Flood Updates for all the latest information. You can also follow @SEPAFlood on X. However, it is important to stress that not all areas that could be affected have Flood Warning schemes, so please do take a Flood Alert in your area as advance notice that you could be affected.
“Follow the advice of the emergency services and take action now to protect yourself and your property. Hazards can be hidden, so please don’t walk or drive into flood water. Remember that not only is flood water likely to be dirty, 30 cm of fast flowing water can move an average family sized car, and just 15 cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet.”
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