Severe weather warning issued as Scotland recovers from Storm Babet

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain that comes into force at midday on Thursday through until midday on Saturday.

A further weather alert for heavy rain has been issued for the north east of Scotland as the region recovers from Storm Babet.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain that comes into force at midday on Thursday through until midday on Saturday.

The alert covers Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee and Perth and Kinross – all the areas that were worst impacted by extreme rain and wind during Storm Babet.

Seven people died due to the severe weather, including three in Scotland.

A car collapsed into part of the road washed away by Storm Babet near Longforgan.Facebook / Scot Kilminster

The Met Office has warned of further flooding, damage to homes and disruption to transport.

“On Wednesday, we’ve had no more than around 5/6mm – but any rain in the north east is not really welcome after the awful impacts and devastation caused by Storm Babet,” said STV weather presenter Philip Petrie.

“The yellow warning from the Met Office has been issued with the consideration in mind that parts of Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee and Perth and Kinross have already seen such high levels of rainfall, flooding and the ground is already highly saturated here.

“The rain will be less heavy than last week, but we are likely to see more flooding in places because of the saturated ground.”

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Met Office issues severe weather warning for rain as Scotland recovers from Storm Babet

Seven dead and hundreds lose homes in Storm Babet

It comes as roads begin to reopen in the aftermath of Storm Babet.

The A90, between Forfar and Brechin, Angus, has been reopened in both directions from Dundee to Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, under a contraflow, after engineers were able to examine two “high-risk” structures hit by the storm.

Wild weather caused considerable erosion of the bridge at Finavon, carrying the A90 over the River South Esk, and a contraflow traffic management system was introduced to enable safe crossing until repairs are completed.

Members of the Coastguard rescue a woman from flood waters surrounding the houses on October 20, 2023 in Brechin.Getty Images

Aberlemno Primary School near Brechin has yet to reopen after Angus Council said the B9134 was “no longer judged to be safe”, and a skip was provided for people to dispose of items from flood-damaged homes.

A GoFundMe page set up by Brechin Flood Relief has so far raised £32,369 to help families who were not covered by insurance, and one person even offered an empty flat for people left homeless.

Watch
Statement at Scottish Parliament on Storm Babet recovery plan

An anonymous donor gave £2,500.

The gym at Brechin Community Campus was “half full” of items donated to help families in need.

The storm claimed three lives in Scotland including that of Peter Pelling, from Arbroath, who became trapped in his car in floodwater.

A search was launched at about 3am on Friday after police received a report near Marykirk, Aberdeenshire.

Mr Pelling’s body and car were recovered on Monday.

Wendy Taylor, 57, died after being swept into the Water of Lee, Glen Esk, on Thursday.

John Gillan, 56, also died on Thursday after a tree hit his van as he was driving on the B9127 at Whigstreet near Forfar.

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