Flooding Outlook - Thursday 22nd January
Date published: 22 January 2026
Continued heavy and persistent rain throughout Thursday 22nd and into Friday 23rd will lead to flooding impacts affecting communities across central and northeastern Scotland.
Janine Hensman, SEPA’s Flood Duty Manager, said:
“There has been a significant amount of rain over the last 24 hours across Scotland, with the highest totals in the northeast of Scotland. As a result, river levels are rising and flooding impacts are likely in parts of Tayside, the Angus hills and south Aberdeenshire where a Met Office amber warning for rain remains in place throughout today. Flooding impacts in these areas is likely with low-lying land, roads, transport infrastructure and properties at risk of flooding.
“More localised river flooding impacts due to heavy rain are also possible across other parts of the country including in Dumfries and Galloway and parts of the Scottish Borders.
“Windy weather will also affect coastal areas with exposed coastlines affected by spray and wave overtopping.”
Notes to editors
An interview with David Cooper is available to download from SEPA's asset library.
You do not need to register but you will only be able to listen to the first 20 seconds until you download it.
People are encouraged to sign up to the Floodline service to receive free updates for where they live, or where they’re travelling through, directly to their phone.
People can also check flood updates for all the latest updates and have a look at the three day Scottish Flood Forecast to see what’s expected further ahead.
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.
- Be extra careful if near the coast. Stay away from flooded promenades and crashing waves.
- Consider deploying flooding protection products if required.
Stay informed
- Follow @SEPAFlood on X for the latest flooding information.
- Check the Regional Flood Alerts and Local Flood Warnings for your area.
- Check your transport routes and check road conditions.
- Check Ready Scotland for advice on preparing for severe weather.
What’s the difference between a flood alert and a flood warning?
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 to measure the exact water height. They are issued at shorter notice when we are more certain that a specific area will be affected.