Red weather warning cut but further floods feared as Storm Babet continues

The alert for extreme rain during Storm Babet now ends at 6pm, rather than midnight, and covers a smaller area than previously – solely Angus and Aberdeenshire.

Rivers in parts of Scotland hit by extreme floods during Storm Babet are expected to hit a second peak later, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) has warned.

The agency’s flood manager warned of a “difficult day ahead”, with a particular watch in Brechin, Angus – where hundreds of people had to leave flooded homes – and some areas near the River Don in Aberdeenshire.

Searches continue for a man missing in Aberdeenshire said to have been trapped in a vehicle in floodwater, amid the devastating storm which has left two people in Scotland dead.

The missing man was reported to Police Scotland at 3am on Friday at Marykirk.

In an update on Saturday morning, Angus Council warned Brechin, and increasingly other parts of Angus, “are now only accessible via boat”.

Warning the area is in “the middle of a very serious emergency”, the local authority urged people to leave their homes if they think they are in danger of flooding or have been told to evacuate.

Dozens of people were taken to rest centres in Angus on Friday after being flooded from their homes, many rescued by the emergency services and coastguard by boat.

Scotland’s First Minister also urged people to heed the red weather warning and evacuate if instructed.

Humza Yousaf posted on X, formerly Twitter: “A red weather Warning remains in place for Angus & parts of Aberdeenshire.

“Please comply with the advice being given, particularly if you are asked to evacuate, it is for your own safety.

“We continue to engage with local partners & emergency services to co-ordinate our response.”

Pascal Lardet, Sepa flood duty manager, told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “The situation remains challenging with a difficult day ahead after the exceptional rainfall recorded since Thursday morning.

“Further rain is forecast to affect the flooded areas, particularly around Brechin but more widely across Tayside, Angus, Dundee and Aberdeenshire.

“There will be a second peak on large rivers, including the South Esk in Brechin and North Esk and we are also monitoring the River Don closely and there will be further surface water flooding.”

He said the peak in Brechin is not expected to reach the same levels as previously.

As of 11am on Saturday, Sepa has issued five severe flood warnings – for Marykirk – as well as parts of Dundee and Angus, with 19 flood warnings and 12 flood alerts also in place.

The agency warned of a considerable risk of flooding on the River Don at Inverurie, Kemnay and Kintore on Saturday between 10am and 2pm and said across Scotland disruption is could continue until Sunday as “river levels remain high”.

Jim Savege, Aberdeenshire Council chief executive, said there was a low level of incidents overnight and the areas’s five rest centres have “not been used that much”.

He said: “We do have more of a concern though for the rest of the day, particularly around the River Don area, the Inverurie area, and Kintore, Kenmay.

“So we’re just working with other colleagues from Sepa to take a look in terms of what the flood levels are on the rivers, to see if we need to take any more action later today with residents there.”

Dozens of roads have been closed by flooding and fallen trees, including major routes such as parts of the A90 and A9.

Angus Council said “most” roads are affected in the region.

Storm Babet has cut power from more than 33,000 customers in Scotland – but the vast majority are now reconnected, energy firm Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said.

As of shortly after 10am, work continues to reconnect 1,100 properties north of the border.

Police Scotland said a falling tree hit a van near Forfar in Angus on Thursday evening, killing the 56-year-old driver.

A 57-year-old woman also died on Thursday after being swept into the Water of Lee, Glen Esk.