Storm Babet: Amber alert issued as strong winds and heavy rain expected to hit UK
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Schools in parts of Scotland will close at lunchtime today after “danger to life” warnings have been issued for Storm Babet.
It comes as a rare red weather warning has been issued in parts of the UK braces, with downpours expected to cause severe flooding and disruption in parts of the country between Thursday and the weekend.
Severe weather warnings for rain and wind have been issued for several areas of the UK, covering already-saturated parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and northern and eastern England.
In Angus, an area north of Dundee and up to the Cairngorms, the local council works to “preserve life”.
The Irish army has been deployed in parts of Cork while Scotland is bracing itself for torrential rain and floods as Storm Babet sweeps across parts of the country.
Dramatic footage shows people wading through water as one local kayaks down a street, while defence forces have been called to the town of Midleton which has become impassable due to floods.
Clean-up underway after flooding swamps Irish towns
A major clean-up operation is under way after flooding swamped several towns and villages in Ireland during Storm Babet.
Counties Cork and Waterford on the southern coast of the island were worst hit, with some areas still under water on Thursday morning.
Members of the Irish Defence Forces were deployed as part of the response to the floods.
The army and civil defence units supported evacuation measures in the town of Midleton in Co Cork, where more than 100 properties were flooded.
A number of businesses, including a prominent supermarket, were damaged by the rapidly rising water levels.
While the floods have since receded, almost 500 electricity customers in Midleton remained without power on Thursday morning, with network engineers from ESB working to restore supply.
Cork County Council said more than a month’s worth of rain fell in the space of 24 hours, leading to unprecedented flooding, saturated land and high river levels across the county.
How much rain will you get?
Met Office map shows how much rain is expected from #StormBabet between now and Saturday.
All the weather warnings in place for Scotland today
An amber rain warning has just started for eastern Scotland that will last upto 6pm tomorrow, with another amber wind warning starting from 10am.
Yellow wind and rain warnings cover much of Scotland and Northern Ireland while a red warning for rain is in place for eastern Scotland starting at 6pm and lasting until noon tomorrow.
Amber alert starting at 10am
'Apocalyptic' flooding causes 'carnage' across Cork County leaving people stranded
Cork county minister Simon Coveney said the flooding had "caused carnage" across the area while environment minister Eamon Ryan said his "heart goes out to all the residents and businesses" affected following Storm Babet.
Independent councillor for East Cork Liam Quaide said the scenes of flooding on Mill Street and Main Street in Midleton were "apocalyptic".
"My wife and I were bringing our daughter home from CUH today and we got stranded for several hours with many other local residents on the outskirts of town as both roads home were off limits. We tried a couple of perilous detours and had to turn back," Mr Quaide told the PA news agency.
"The scenes of devastation in Midleton today were an ominous sign of what is ahead of us as a nation if we don't double down on climate mitigation and adaptation."
"I'd like to commend the heroic work of Cork County Council staff, the Fire Service and Civil Defence Forces who worked around the clock evacuating and providing assistance to many people in distress."
Thursday weather forecast for UK
As Storm Babet lashes the country with two months’ worth of rainfall between Thursday and Saturday, the Met Office is predicting Thursday to be wet and windy for most of the country.
The forecaster says heavy and prolonged rainfall is expected across parts of Scotland with many areas under red and amber alerts, leading to flooding in places, especially in the east.
However, the rest of the UK will still see some mild sunny spells disrupted by heavy thundery showers in between.
The day will remain windy for all, with severe gales across Scotland.
Overnight, heavy rain will begin arriving across the southeast overnight, spreading to most areas by dawn.
Satellite imagery shows Storm Babet approaching the UK
Satellite imagery shows Storm Babet approaching the UK.
Stay at home warning issued for red weather alert areas
People in parts of Scotland that are under red alert have been urged to avoid travel and stay at home as Storm Babet is expected to bring severe flooding and disruption.
Schools in Angus will close at lunchtime on Thursday and remain closed on Friday.
The red warning states there is "danger to life from fast flowing or deep floodwater" in Aberdeenshire and Angus, with extensive flooding and road closures also expected, as well as warning of wind gusts in excess of 70mph (113km/h) affecting coastal areas.
It also warned of collapsed or damaged buildings and power cuts, and said some areas could be cut off for days.
Ireland deploys army to evacuate people as Storm Babet floods over a hundred houses
Members of the Irish Defence Forces have been deployed to a town in the south of Ireland to deal with extensive flooding due to Storm Babet.
The army and civil defence units supported evacuation measures in the town of Midleton, Co Cork, where more than 100 properties were flooded.
A number of businesses, including a prominent supermarket, were damaged by severe flooding.
Cork County Council said more than a month's worth of rain had fallen in the space of 24 hours, leading to unprecedented flooding, saturated land and high river levels across the county.
"Midleton town is currently impassable with over 100 properties flooded. The council has established a coordination centre in Midleton Fire Station to coordinate arrangements," it said in a statement.
"A rest centre in Midleton Community Centre has been established to facilitate persons who require evacuation."
Recent examples of red weather warnings in the UK
Here are some recent examples of the Met Office issuing a rare red weather warning: Heatwave, July 2022
A heatwave in mid-July 2022 saw temperatures reach unprecedented levels in many parts of the UK, passing 40C for the first time on July 19.
The conditions prompted the Met Office to issue its first ever red warning for extreme heat, covering much of central and southern England.
Storm Eunice, February 2022
Two red warnings for wind were issued for Storm Eunice, covering areas of south-west and south-east England.
It was the most severe and damaging storm to affect England and Wales since 2014, with winds of more than 81mph in exposed coastal locations and a gust of 122mph recorded on the Needles off the coast of the Isle of Wight.
Four people died in the UK and Ireland as a result of falling trees, while more than a million homes were left without power and hundreds of flights were cancelled.
Transport Scotland advises public to avoid travel
Transport Scotland has advised the public to avoid travel in red warning areas and to expect a high risk of disruption in the amber areas.
Operator manager Stein Connelly said: “People need to plan ahead and be prepared. Avoid travel unless essential. If you do need to travel, check before your travel as your journey is likely to be affected by these latest severe weather warnings.
“For those in Angus and South Aberdeenshire, the advice is clear – do not travel during the period the red warning is in effect. The rain is expected to present some really challenging conditions.
“The Multi Agency Response team will be in operation to monitor conditions and co-ordinate our response. However, the public can play a key role by planning ahead.“
The latest Police Scotland advice is to expect a high risk of disruption across central and the north east of Scotland. Police are also asking people not to travel across the areas of Angus and South Aberdeenshire.
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2023-10-19 07:06:14Z
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