Residents in the north-east have been warned to “start preparing now” for potential flooding later in the week.
Storm Babet is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds from Wednesday evening as it moves across the country.
The Met Office has now issued an amber warning for parts of the north-east including Aberdeen, Inverurie, Stonehaven and Deeside.
A yellow warning is still in place across the north, spanning from the Banff and Buchan coast across Moray, Inverness and up to Shetland.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) says that the warning is particularly relevant for communities still recovering from flooding experienced over the weekend of October 6 and 7.
Storm Babet to hit on Wednesday
David Morgan from SEPA said: “Storm Babet will bring heavy rain and high winds across Scotland from Wednesday evening, starting in the South West before moving across to the North East through Thursday and into the weekend.
“Impacts from surface water and rivers are likely, and with catchments saturated from recent heavy rain and flooding, we’re urging people to be prepared for potential flooding. There is also concern that surface water flooding may be exacerbated by debris blocking drainage, culverts, etc. as a result of the high winds.
“Flood Alerts and Warnings will be issued as required, and we continue to work with the Met Office to monitor the situation 24/7. People can check our Flood Updates for all the latest information and the three-day Scottish Flood Forecast to see what conditions are expected further ahead.
“If you live or work in an area that could be affected, consider any steps you need to take now to be prepared and stay safe, and to take extra care if you need to travel.”
66 hours of rain
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for 66 hours of rain from 6am on Thursday. Heavy rain is expected across the north-east from as far south as Laurencekirk and north to Insch. Tomintoul in Moray is also covered by the alert, as well as Aviemore in the Highlands.
Storm Babet will also bring a period of very strong southeasterly winds to much of central and northern Scotland, spreading across Grampian and the Highlands.
More rain than usual
Scotland typically receives 168mm of rainfall in October, but the country is set to receive more than this amount in the span of a few days.
The heavy rain may also cause “fast-flowing and deep floodwater” that could pose a “danger to life,” there is also a chance of essential services like gas, water, and mobile phone signals to be disrupted.
Three days of ‘extremely’ heavy rain forecast across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
