Storm Babet has been wreaking havoc across Ireland and the UK and the bad weather is set to continue for some time. The storm has brought winds of up to 70mph, downpours of rain and some serious flooding. Simon King, a BBC weather presenter and meteorologist, said:
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Well over a month's worth of rain has fallen in some areas of eastern Scotland with close to 16cm in the Grampian hills. There’s more to come today with the flooding situation likely to get worse before it gets any better.
Amid the weather chaos, travel is becoming very complicated, and a woman’s body has been pulled from a river in one of the worst affected areas.
Travel chaos in the UK
Trains in Scotland have been suspended on several routes. This mostly affects the north and northeast of the country, and as of 9:03 this morning the following services have been suspended:
- Aberdeen and Elgin
- Edinburgh and Aberdeen via Fife
- Perth and Aberdeen via Dundee
- Dunblane and Perth
- Perth and Aviemore
- Tain and Wick/Thurso
All Fife Circle services have also been suspended, and in the town of Gourock, spray from the sea has reportedly knocked out electricity supply which is causing delays, Sky News reports.
The following major roads are closed due to the rain and high winds:
- A85 at Huntingtower near Perth
- A9 Jubilee Bridge near Dunkeld, Perthshire
- A90 between Myrekirk and Swallow Roundabouts, Dundee
- A90 between Ellon and Bogbrae, Aberdeenshire
- A7 in both directions at Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway
Woman’s body pulled from a river
Earlier this week, the Met Office issued a rare red weather warning, stating that it expected ‘danger to life from fast flowing or deep floodwater’. Tragically, a woman in Angus has now died as a result of the severe weather.
The BBC reports:
The 57-year-old was swept into the Water of Lee in Glen Esk as Storm Babet battered parts of the country.
Angus council has now issued a plea for residents to evacuate the town amid fears that the River South Esk could burst its banks, but some are refusing to leave their homes.
Deputy First Minister Shona Robison, who attended an emergency response meeting on Thursday 19 October, has stated that she expects the worst of the storm to hit overnight into Friday morning. She expects there will be a big clear-up operation over the weekend, but this what she said for now:
Our message is clear - if you live in the areas covered by the red warning, please stay at home and do not travel, unless advised to relocate to a rest centre.
Stay up to date with the most recent forecast on the Met Office’s site.
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Sources used:
Sky News: Storm Babet latest: 'Spectacular 20ft waves' smash coastline; rare warning in force; body found in river
BBC: Storm Babet: Rescuers search Brechin homes after body pulled from river
BBC: Live Storm Babet: Woman dead and search for man trapped in flood
