Hundreds told to evacuate in Scotland as Northern Europe braces for gale-force winds and floods
CTV
Hundreds of people were being evacuated from their homes and schools closed in parts of Scotland on Thursday, as much of northern Europe braced for stormy weather, heavy rain and gale-force winds from the east.
Hundreds of people were being evacuated from their homes and schools closed in parts of Scotland on Thursday, as much of northern Europe braced for stormy weather, heavy rain and gale-force winds from the east.
The U.K.'s weather forecaster, the Met Office, issued a rare red alert -- the highest level of weather warning -- for parts of Scotland, predicting "exceptional rainfall" Thursday and Friday that is expected to cause extensive flooding and "danger to life from fast-flowing or deep floodwater." The last red alert in the U.K. was issued in 2020.
Forecasters say the storm, named Babet by U.K. officials, could bring more than a month's worth of rain in the worst-affected regions in Scotland.
Babet already brought flooding to several towns and villages in Ireland, with some areas remaining under water and without power Thursday. Soldiers helped with evacuation measures in the town of Midleton in County Cork, where more than 100 properties were flooded.
In the town of Brechin, near Scotland's eastern coast, officials told residents of about 400 houses to evacuate to local rest centers. Local schools were closed and will remain shut on Friday.
In Denmark, residents scrambled to place sandbags along exposed areas. In Assens on the central island of Funen, emergency services deployed huge rubber tubes in the harbor to counter rising water levels, broadcaster TV2 reported. Southern Denmark police urged people along the east coast to leave exposed areas if the weather predictions remain, saying cottages, harbors and other places could be flooded.
TV2 reported that the region would likely see the worst flooding in 110 years, and the Danish Meteorological Institute said waves could reach 4 meters (13 feet) along east-facing coasts.
