Residents of a Scottish town evacuated for fear of Storm Babbitt, “which threatens their lives” – Denmark and Germany are also preparing | climate

Babbitt hits Scotland tonight and tomorrow with “unprecedented” weather. Rainfall amounts can be very high locally. In some places, 200 to 250 mm of rain may fall, according to the UK weather service Met Office (for comparison, Oakley sees an average of 229 mm of rain in the winter months). Wind speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour are likely on both the Scottish coast and the Highlands. Code Red has been announced and this is exceptional.

The Met Office warned of “exceptional rainfall” and possible “life-threatening conditions” due to major flooding. Many roads are expected to be inaccessible.

Scots are advised to stay away from the coast. Power outages and the possibility of aid being cut off from people in some areas for several days are also taken into consideration.

Brechin residents were even asked to leave their homes this afternoon. Emergency workers go door to door to get everyone out as quickly as possible. There are fears that the South Esk River, which flows through the town, will burst its banks. A severe flood risk has been declared and there is a real chance of dam failures in the next 24 hours.

A center will be set up this afternoon where evacuees can go and nearby hotels will also house people.

Code Red – the highest level of weather warnings – will be in effect from 6pm local time (7pm in Belgium), until noon tomorrow.

Denmark and the Baltic Sea are also expected to experience bad weather. Danish channel TV2 warns of “the worst floods in 110 years.” According to the Danish Meteorological Institute, waves on the east coast could reach four meters in height. Police advised residents there to leave their homes if the weather forecast does not change. Sandbags are placed in many places.

The city council of Kugues is asking residents not to use water unnecessarily, for example for washing clothes or showering, because “the municipal treatment plant was at risk of overloading.”

Copenhagen Airport and the National Railway Company warn of delays and cancellations tomorrow. Several ferry services between Danish islands have already been cancelled.

Swedish meteorologists also issued a warning for the southern coast on Friday evening and Saturday. Water levels there may reach “the highest level since the 1990s.”

In Germany, the authorities warned of high tide in the bays of Schleswig-Holstein, south of the border with Denmark, until mid-Saturday.

The authorities also warned of high tides during the next two days on the Baltic Sea coast in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany, with water levels rising to two meters above average in the inlet where the city of Flensburg is located. Some ferries to the North Sea islands of Fuhr and Amrum were delayed or cancelled, the German news agency DPA reported.

In Ireland, Babbitt has already caused flooding in many towns and villages. Some areas are still flooded and without electricity.