Week of unsettled weather as SEPA warns of surface water flooding
Date published: 02 January 2023
Scotland is set for a week of unsettled weather as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scotland’s flood forecasting and warning authority, is advising Scots and visitors to Scotland to keep updated, be mindful of potential disruption, and plan ahead for any travel across the period to the weekend.
The guidance comes after last week’s significant flooding in the run-up to New Year which saw SEPA issue 10 Regional flood alerts, 29 local flood warnings and a severe flood warning in place for Dumfries. Impacts across the country were significant, with levels at the River Nith being the highest ever recorded, and higher than Storm Frank in 2015 and flooding in December 1982.
Across the coming days, prolonged rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday, combined with melting snow, is likely to see minor river and surface water flooding, across the country, with the potential for impact on transport routes. Whilst peak river levels in Southern Scotland, including the Tweed and the Nith, are expected to be well below those experienced last week, given the saturated nature of the ground, minor disruption is likely on some transport routes with isolated property flooding in places.
Marc Becker, Flood Duty Manager at SEPA, said:
“Across New Year’s week we’ll see Scotland face a further period of unsettled weather. Prolonged rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday, combined with melting snow, is likely to see minor river and surface water flooding, across the country, with the potential for impact on transport routes.
“Whilst peak river levels in Southern Scotland, including the Tweed and the Nith, are expected to be well below those experienced last week, given the saturated nature of the ground, minor disruption is likely on some transport routes with isolated property flooding in places.
“Across the week we’ll see Scots and visitors to Scotland out and about, travelling home or returning to work. We’re urging people to keep updated, register for SEPA’s free Floodline messaging service, be mindful of potential disruption, and plan ahead for any travel across the period to the weekend.”
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 or 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.