17.00 update - SEPA continues to monitor river levels in north east as more rain forecast
Date published: 26 October 2023
“The latest forecast from the Met Office is predicting prolonged periods of heavy rain in the north east around the South Esk.
“This has the potential to result in surface water and river flooding in the same areas as last week – though rivers are not expected to reach the same levels. Residual impacts from Storm Babet may mean riverside areas will flood again, including in Brechin.
“Heavy rain may also cause flooding of main transport routes, including the A90. Although widespread significant flooding is not currently expected, many catchments remain saturated following the recent heavy rainfall events – and further rain will affect areas where flood waters remain. Regional Flood Alerts have been issued and localised Flood Warnings will be issued shortly.
“People are urged to stay away from river sides and to stay out of flood water. Hazards can be hidden, so please don’t walk or drive into flood water. Remember that not only is flood water likely to be dirty, 30 cm of fast flowing water can move an average family sized car, and just 15 cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet.
“We advise people to sign up to Floodline to receive free updates for where they live, or travel through, directly to their phone. People can also check our flood updates for all the latest information and the three-day Scottish Flood Forecast to see what conditions are expected further ahead.”
David Scott, SEPA’s Flood Duty Manager, said.
Staying informed
- Check the latest information on SEPA's regional flood alerts and local flood warnings
- Check the latest advice on what to do to prepare for flooding
- Register for SEPA’s free Floodline message service by calling 0345 988 1188
- Check the three day Scottish Flood Forecast
- Updates on ScotRail services and road conditions are available online.
- Advice on preparing for severe weather can be found on the Ready Scotland website.
Be prepared and stay safe
- Don’t walk through flood water – 15cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet and hazards can be hidden under the water.
- Drive with care, and do not travel through deep fast flowing water. It only takes 30cm of fast flowing water to move an average family sized car.
- If you’re walking beside rivers be extra careful of wet footpaths and small watercourses.
- Consider deploying flooding protection products if required.
What’s the difference between a flood alert and a flood warning?
- We use forecast weather information provided by the Met Office combined with our own observation of rainfall and river levels and advanced hydrological modelling to provide advance warning of flooding.
- Regional Flood Alerts are early advice that flooding is possible across a wider geographical area. The purpose of the Alerts is to make people aware of the risk of flooding and be prepared. We normally issue them 12 to 24 hours in advance of the possibility of flooding.
- Flood Warnings are more locally specific and are issued for areas where we have gauges on rivers to measure the exact river height. They are issued at shorter notice when we are more certain that a specific area will be affected.