Storm Babet: when will the storm end? Met Office advice on when heavy rain and strong winds could pass

Storm Babet has already wrecked havoc across the country with heavy rains and strong, powerful winds leading to major floods as rivers burst their banks and an entire town was told to evacuate.

Dangerous conditions have made travel all but impossible in some areas, including the north-east of Scotland - one of the worst hit regions of the country. The Met Office has been constantly updating advice to help keep people safe and informed on what the next stages of the storm is.

Bu what is the advice? And just when will Storm Babet be over? Here's everything you need to know.

When will Storm Babet pass?

The latest advice from the Met Office has seen the red weather warning in north-east Scotland extended. Where the original warning was due to expire in the early hours of Saturday morning (21 October), the new warning is in place until at least 23.59pm on Saturday evening.

In England, the amber weather warnings in the Midlands and the north are due to expire at around 6am on Saturday morning. Yellow weather warnings for wind across the country are expected to expire at midday on Saturday. In Northern Ireland, the yellow weather warning for rain is in place until 9am.

Most of the heavy rain is set to move north by Sunday morning (22 October). Winds are also expected to dramatically reduce by this point also.

What has the Met Office said about Storm Babet?

While many will be looking towards the end of the wild weather, the Met Office has issued advice to help get through the remaining heavy rain and strong winds. Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Andy Page, said: “This is not usual autumn weather. This is an exceptional event, and we are likely to continue to see significant impacts with the potential for further flooding and damage to properties. There are numerous National Severe Weather Warnings in place for both rain and wind over the coming days.”

He added: “Today parts of eastern Scotland could see a further 20-30 mm of rain, but the east-facing high ground from southeast Scotland to the Cheviots, south to the Peak District may see as much as 80 to 120 mm of rain locally. Strong easterly winds may exacerbate the impacts of the heavy rain. We have issued a second red warning covering parts of Angus and Aberdeenshire for Saturday with 70-100 mm rain possible. This has the potential to cause further impacts in this already hard-hit area.”

Pascal Lardet, SEPA Flood Duty Manager, added: “There is exceptional rainfall forecast for parts of Scotland over the next 24 hours, and this will lead to significant flooding from both surface water and rivers. Regional Flood Alerts were issued over the last two days to provide early awareness, and localised Flood Warnings started to be issued this morning. More will be issued across the day, so I do encourage people to check our Flood Updates for all the latest information.

"You can also follow @SEPAFlood on X. However, it is important to stress that not all areas that could be affected have Flood Warning schemes, so please do take a Flood Alert in your area as advance notice that you could be affected. Follow the advice of the emergency services and take action now to protect yourself and your property. Hazards can be hidden, so please don’t walk or drive into flood water. Remember that not only is flood water likely to be dirty, 30cm of fast flowing water can move an average family sized car, and just 15cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet.”

The RNLI has advised that you should stay away from coastal areas and cliffs during Storm Babet. RNLI Water Safety Partner, Sam Hughes, said: “The RNLI advises staying a safe distance away from the water and cliff edges as the conditions could knock you off your feet or wash you into the sea. It is not worth risking your life.

“If you see someone else in danger in the water, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard if by the coast, or the fire service if inland. If you have something that floats that they can hold on to, throw it to them. Don’t go in the water yourself – you may end up in difficulty too.”