UK Weather: Rare red weather warning issued as Storm Babet hits UK, how long it will last, Met Office forecast

A rare red weather warning with a “risk to life” has been issued for parts of Scotland as Storm Babet is set to batter the UK on Thursday (October 18). The UK is bracing for heavy wind and rain from the storm, which is currently hitting Ireland after sweeping in from the Atlantic.

The Met Office has also issued an amber weather warning for parts of eastern Scotland on Thursday, while yellow warnings for rain cover eastern England and the rest of Scotland on Friday.

The red warning states there is “danger to life from fast flowing or deep floodwater” in Aberdeenshire and Angus, with extensive flooding and road closures also expected. This is the first red warning for rain issued in the UK since Storm Dennis in February 2020, potentially causing power cuts in certain areas. 

The Met Office said the red warning area covered from just north of Dundee up towards Aberdeen, and inland towards Balmoral. The certainty of the forecast has increased, as has the amount of expected rainfall. It begins at 6pm on Thursday and is active until midday on Friday.

Storm Babet, a complex area of low pressure which developed to the west of the Iberian Peninsula, was named by the Met Office on Monday morning. The second named storm of the season will last until Saturday, the forecaster said, and is expected to cause flooding, power cuts and travel disruption.

Yellow severe weather warnings have been issued across the week from Thursday until Saturday for a vast swathe of the UK, covering already-saturated parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and northern and eastern England. It has already brought heavy rain and flooding in Northern Ireland on Wednesday.

A Met Office spokesman said the red warning area covered from just north of Dundee up towards Aberdeen, and inland towards Balmoral. The certainty of the forecast has increased, as has the amount of expected rainfall. It begins at 6pm on Thursday and is active until midday on Friday.

Chief meteorologist Jason Kelly said: “Confidence has increased in the chances of considerable impacts from rainfall in parts of the east of Scotland from Storm Babet, which has resulted in the escalation to the red warning.

“One hundred to 150mm of rain is expected to fall quite widely within the warning period, with some locations likely to see 200-250mm, which is expected to cause considerable impacts, with flooding likely.”

He continued: “Storm Babet will track gradually northwards in the coming days, and although the most significant impacts are expected within the red and amber warning areas, there will still be wider impacts for much of the UK from this wind and rain.”

David Morgan, flood duty manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), urged people in the affected areas to check for flood updates in the coming days.

UK 5-day weather forecast

Wednesday (October 18)

Storm Babet will start to make its presence felt as showery outbreaks of rain spread northwards becoming persistent and locally heavy later. Dry and bright across Scotland. Gusty winds become widespread with coastal gales developing.

Overnight, rain, heavy at times, will continue to move north, reaching all but northern Scotland by dawn. Turning drier across the south before showers arrive. Windy in the north with gales.

Thursday (October 19)

Bands of heavy rain and strong winds move across the country during Thursday with the heaviest rain across eastern Scotland. Gales across Scotland. Mixture of sunny spells and showers elsewhere.

Outlook for Friday (October 20) to Sunday (October 22)

Bands of heavy rain and strong winds move across the country during Friday with the heaviest rain across eastern Scotland. Colder and showery conditions moving south during Saturday and Sunday.