Storm Babet poses ‘risk to life’ in parts of Scotland

Humza Yousaf has warned against unnecessary travel in parts of Scotland as Storm Babet is forecast to hit several towns between Dundee and Aberdeen and pose a “risk to life” on Thursday.

The UK is bracing for heavy wind and rain from the storm, which is moving east from Ireland after sweeping in from the Atlantic. The Met Office says there is a “risk to life” from flooding in Aberdeenshire and Angus.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, the Scottish first minister said: “Please be aware of the challenging weather we are due to experience across Scotland, most severe from Thursday 18:00 – Friday 12:00.

“Weather warning across Angus & the North East has been upgraded to Red. Travel should be avoided unless absolutely essential.”

He added: “The Scottish Government is working with local resilience partners, including our emergency services, to ensure we keep everyone safe & mitigate disruption as best we can.”

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for parts of eastern Scotland on Thursday, while yellow warnings for rain cover much of England and the rest of Scotland.

The red warning states there is “danger to life from fast flowing or deep flood water” in Aberdeenshire and Angus, with extensive flooding and road closures also expected. There could also be power cuts and some areas could be cut off for days.

Storm Babet, a complex area of low pressure that developed to the west of the Iberian peninsula, was named by the Met Office on Monday morning. The second named storm of the season would last until Saturday, the forecaster said, and was expected to cause flooding, power cuts and travel disruption.

In the Republic of Ireland, rain warnings for every county in the Republic of Ireland were in place overnight, having come into effect at various stages on Tuesday.

Yellow severe weather warnings have been issued across the week from Thursday until Saturday for a vast swathe of the UK, covering already saturated parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and northern and eastern England.

It had already brought heavy rain and flooding in Northern Ireland on Wednesday.

Tony Wardle, the Met Office deputy chief meteorologist, said: “Storm Babet will bring disruption for parts of the UK in the coming days, with heavy rain and strong winds likely for many. Heavy and persistent rain will fall on to already saturated ground bringing a risk of flooding. It is important to stay up-to-date with warnings from your local flood warning agency as well as the local authorities.

“As well as heavy rain, Storm Babet will bring some very strong winds and large waves near some eastern coasts too. Gusts around 70mph are possible in eastern and northern Scotland from Thursday. Met Office warnings will continue to be reviewed as the forecast develops.”