The Met Office escalated its weather warning to a rare red alert, prompting the evacuation of the entire town of Brechin in Angus, Scotland due to alarming flooding concerns from Storm Babet.
The torrential downpour from Babet has wreaked havoc across multiple towns and villages. “Exceptionally heavy and persistent rain” is expected to continue battering eastern Scotland from 6pm today until noon Friday, as indicated by the updated rare red warning for rain.
As a precautionary measure, several schools across parts of Scotland were shuttered by lunchtime. Local councils took this dramatic step due to concerns over “danger to life” disruptions amidst the deluge.
DEVON: Massive waves crash into the Teignmouth coast as Storm Babet threatens to wreak havoc across the UK
In a particularly dramatic display of the storm’s force, a local was captured on video kayaking down a flooded street. Defence forces have since intervened to support and execute evacuation measures, with many residents forced to wade through inundated streets.
The flooding crisis isn’t limited to Scotland. Parts of Ireland, notably Cork County, witnessed more than a month’s worth of rain in just a single day. This has resulted in an unprecedented level of flooding, so much so that the army has been deployed for rescue and relief operations.
COUNTY CORK: A woman wades through the flooded streets of Midleton in County Cork as Storm Babet lashed down on Ireland
The Met Office hasn’t confined its severe weather warnings just to Scotland. Multiple alerts for rain and wind are now in place covering areas of Northern Ireland, northern and eastern England, in addition to already-saturated regions of Scotland.
Residents across these areas are being advised to stay vigilant, follow local advisories, and prepare for potential evacuations.
