An additional Amber warning for rain was in place across the Easter Ross, Caithness and Sutherland areas for Saturday, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said in an update on Storm Babet published on 20 October 2023. The service said existing warnings remained in effect across other areas in the east and north of Scotland, and that a second Red weather warning from the Met Office covered the Tayside and Grampian regions from midnight on Friday 20 October to midnight on Saturday 21 October1.
The SFRS said Storm Babet continued to cause life-threatening flooding across Scotland. It had responded to almost 70 weather related incidents, including rescues from homes and floodwaters, and since the morning of Thursday 19 October it had received more than 750 emergency 999 calls and attended almost 300 incidents in total1.
"An additional Amber warning for rain is in place across the Easter Ross, Caithness, and Sutherland areas for Saturday."
David Lockhart, SFRS Assistant Chief Officer, said the service had a significant number of resources deployed in the affected areas and was continuing to support evacuation and rescue efforts. The SFRS asked members of the public to avoid flood waters at all costs and not to attempt to walk through, play in, drive through or otherwise enter any flooded areas for any reason, to keep children and pets away from the water, and not to travel in or around the affected areas wherever possible. It asked parents, guardians and carers to talk to children and young people about the dangers of playing in floodwater1.
The service set out the risks it says floodwater poses1:
| Risk | What the SFRS says |
|---|---|
| Swift currents | Even a few inches of moving water can knock you off your feet |
| Hidden hazards | Sharp debris, branches, rocks and submerged vehicles may lie beneath the surface |
| Water quality | Floodwater is often contaminated with sewage, chemicals and other pollutants; contact, ingestion or open wounds can lead to infections and illness |
| Unpredictability | Conditions can change rapidly, with unexpected rises in water levels and intensifying currents |
| Cold water shock | Cold water can affect stamina |
Why it matters for households
Households in Easter Ross, Caithness and Sutherland face an Amber rain warning on Saturday 21 October, on top of warnings still in effect in other parts of east and north Scotland, with a Red warning for Tayside and Grampian running to midnight that day1. The SFRS advises people who know someone in trouble, or who need emergency service assistance, to call 999 and not to attempt to reach people, animals or properties through floodwaters. It urges everyone to listen to evacuation warnings and advice from their local authority or the emergency services1. The Met Office warnings guide explains the yellow, amber and red levels, and there is a guide to signing up for Met Office weather alerts; further coverage sits in the storms and snow section.
What happens next
The Amber warning for Easter Ross, Caithness and Sutherland applies to Saturday 21 October, and the second Red warning for Tayside and Grampian runs to midnight on Saturday 21 October1. The SFRS said its deployment across affected areas is a planned and co-ordinated operation to respond to emergencies and protect the welfare of its crews1. No further warnings or timings beyond those dates have been reported.
Sources (1)
- Storm Babet update | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, firescotland.gov.uk
Met Office Weather Warnings
