BRECHIN residents have been told to leave the town due to Storm Babet floods.
Appoximately 370 homes are being evacuated amid a severe flood warning for the Brechin River and South Esk area, Angus Council has said.
An additional 87 homes in Tannadice and Finavon will be evacuated too.
Rest centres are due to be set up this afternoon from 3pm at Montrose Sports Centre and Brechin and Forfar community campuses, while nearby hotels will offer refuge.
People are being asked to bring their own sleeping bags and any supplies or medications they will need.
The council will be going door-to-door to inform residents of the need to get out of their properties. Vulnerable people have been prioritised and it is understood some residents may not be evacuated until after 6pm when the red warning comes into place.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has said they are expecting “extensive river and surface water flooding” as Storm Babet hits.
Schools and early years centres closed at lunchtime in the area and they are set to remain shut on Friday, the council has said.
An Angus Council spokesperson said: "Over the past few days, resilience colleagues have been working with SEPA to identify areas at most risk of flooding, due to the unprecedented level of rain that is expected to fall across Angus. SEPA have advised of a possible sever flood warning.
"As a result, we have identified approximately 370 homes in Brechin, and additional homes in Tannadice and Finavon where residents will be asked to evacuate for their own safety.
"In preparation of such a situation, rest centres have been set up at Brechin Community Campus, Montrose Sports Centre and Forfar Community Campus which will open at 3pm to support those affected and we are working closely with colleagues from Angus Health and Social Care Partnership to identify vulnerable residents who will require additional support."
The council added it is anticipated water will reach the top of the River South Esk by around 9pm but water levels will continue to rise beyond this.
It comes amid a rare red weather warning for parts of Angus and south Aberdeenshire as well as western parts of Tayside.
Northern parts of Dundee are included in the red zone, which extends northwards up the coast to Stonehaven. Inland areas to the east between Perth and Pitlochry are also affected.
Storm Babet could bring up to 200-220mm of rain in some areas of eastern Scotland, an amount close to the highest ever 24-hour total for a “rainfall day”, Met Office figures show..
It is the first red warning for rain issued in the UK since Storm Dennis in February 2020.
The British Geological Survey has also warned the storm could cause landslides in Scotland.
“Whilst the landslides will be different to last week’s failures in the West of Scotland with less potential of large-scale debris flows, there is a history of coastal landslides within the warning area," a spokesperson said.
“Infrastructure slopes are also likely to be affected with potential for disruption to roads and railway within the warning area.”
Energy company SSE said it had restored power to 7000 homes in Scotland on Thursday and was working to reconnect 3000 more.
