Flooding Outlook: Tuesday 11 April 2023
Date published: 11 April 2023
“A period of unsettled weather is expected on Tuesday 11 April, with strong winds and heavy rain forecast in southwest Scotland.
“The main areas of concern are Dumfries and Galloway, Ayrshire and Arran and western parts of the Borders, where flooding from rivers and surface water is likely on Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning. There is also a possibility of some localised impacts in central areas during this time and the Western Isles on Wednesday.
“Regional Flood Alerts are being issued as necessary and we continue to work with the Met Office to monitor the situation 24/7.
“People living and working in affected areas are advised to take care if travelling and consider any steps they need to take now to be prepared and to stay safe.
“We would also encourage people to sign up to Floodline to receive free updates for where they live, or where they’re travelling 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.”
Ruth Ellis, Flood Duty Manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), 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 online by calling 0345 988 1188
- Check the three day Scottish Flood Forecast
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.