How the third named storm of the season is affecting the country
Storm Ciarán, the third named storm of the season, has brought strong winds and rain to parts of the UK, especially Scotland. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for heavy rain in southwest, central and eastern Scotland until 6am on Friday. The warning comes as clean-up operations in the wake of Storm Babet continue with hundreds still unable to return to their homes.
The heavy rain is expected to cause flooding, disruption to transport and difficult driving conditions. Some areas could see 20-30 mm of rain, with a risk of 40-50 mm in some locations, mainly over higher ground. The Met Office also warned of large waves and coastal issues due to stronger southerly then easterly winds.
STV meteorologist Sean Batty said: “While Storm Ciaran will largely affect England and Wales with the worst of the wind and rain, Scotland will once again experience another spell of very wet weather in the coming days. Again the worst of the rainfall will fall in the east of the country, especially over higher ground.”
The aftermath of Storm Babet
Storm Babet, which hit Scotland last week, claimed three lives and caused widespread damage and disruption. Wendy Taylor, 57, of Perthshire; John Gillan, 56, of Arbroath; and Peter Pelling, 61, also of Arbroath; died due to the severe weather.
The A90, between Forfar and Brechin, Angus, was reopened in both directions from Dundee to Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, under a contraflow, after engineers were able to examine two “high-risk” structures hit by the storm. Wild weather caused considerable erosion of the bridge at Finavon, carrying the A90 over the River South Esk.
A GoFundMe page set up by Brechin Flood Relief has so far raised £45,000 to help families who have lost their homes. An anonymous donor gave £2,500. The gym at Brechin Community Campus was “half full” of items donated to help families in need.
How people are coping with the stormy conditions
Despite the stormy conditions, some people have shown resilience and courage in facing the challenges. Workers sprung into action at the Stonehaven seafront to repair the damage caused by Storm Babet. Members of the Coastguard rescued a woman from flood waters surrounding her house in Brechin.
Some people have also shared their experiences and photos of the storm on social media. One user posted a video of waves crashing over the harbour in Stonehaven. Another user tweeted: “Storm Ciarán is making its presence felt here in Edinburgh. Stay safe everyone!”
What to expect next from the weather
According to the Met Office, the weather will remain unsettled for the rest of the week and into the weekend. There will be further spells of rain and strong winds, with some snow possible over higher ground in Scotland.
The outlook for next week is more uncertain, but there is a chance of some drier and brighter interludes for some parts of the UK. However, there is also a risk of further low pressure systems bringing more wet and windy weather at times.
The Met Office advises people to stay updated with the latest weather warnings and forecasts on their website or app.
Will Scotland see an end to the storms soon?
Scotland has been battered by three named storms in less than a month: Storm Arwen, Storm Babet and Storm Ciarán. These storms have brought heavy rain, strong winds, snow and floods to many parts of the country.
The naming of storms is part of a scheme by the Met Office and its Irish counterpart Met Éireann to raise awareness of severe weather events. The names are chosen from a list suggested by the public.
The next storm name on the list is Storm Dara, followed by Storm Eoin. Whether these names will be used or not depends on how severe the weather becomes in the coming weeks.
Scotland may hope for a break from the storms soon, but as Sean Batty said: “This is what we get for living in one of Europe’s most exposed locations.”
