A woman died after being swept into a river in Angus, amid the beginning of an evacuation of 400 homes in the Scottish region and warnings that conditions caused by Storm Babet would deteriorate overnight.
Police found the body of a 57-year-old woman at 4pm on Thursday, around two hours after receiving a call saying someone had been swept into the Water of Lee at Glen Esk.
The region is subject to a severe flood warning from Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa), and was battered by heavy rain from 8am on Thursday, with the fire service and coastguard expected to begin evacuating 400 homes in Brechin before the first of the flooding was predicted from 9pm.
Aberdeenshire Council warned residents to be ready to leave imminently and more than doubled the number of rest centres to five, from two earlier in the day.
The Met Office red weather warning began at 6pm and was expanded to include Dundee, Perth and Kinross, as well as Angus and Aberdeenshire, where 20ft waves were seen crashing in Stonehaven harbour.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 1.45pm on Thursday October 19, officers attended a report of a person having been swept into the Water of Lee, Glen Esk.
“Around 4pm, the body of a 57-year-old woman was recovered from the river. There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”
Some 20,000 properties were hit by power cuts although Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said electricity had been restored to 14,000 and staffing capacity had been increased by ten-fold in anticipation.
Schools were closed in Angus, where three rest centres were opened and ready to welcome pets as the Sepa severe flood warning was expanded to Finavon and Tannadice.
A new rest centre was opened in Alyth, Perth and Kinross, and funerals were cancelled in Aberdeenshire.
Deputy First Minister Shona Robison said: “Storm Babet is still in its early stages and the worst impacts are yet to come.
“The red warning has been expanded to cover further parts of Scotland and we expect weather conditions to deteriorate seriously overnight. If you live in the areas covered by the red waning, please stay at home and do not travel, unless advised to relocate to a rest centre.
“We expect to launch a major clean-up operation as we move into the weekend.”
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston said: “Police officers are helping local authorities evacuate a large number of properties in the Tayside area which is seeing some of the most significant impacts of the storm.”
Paddleboarding instructor David Jacobs, 56, said he saw waves around 20ft high in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, and expects it to be worse tomorrow.
He moved his huts inland in anticipation of Storm Babet, but said he was concerned for passers-by who stopped to watch the waves, as they could be hit by debris or swept into the sea.
Mr Jacobs said: “The waves were about 20ft, or seven metres.
“The wind is swinging east tomorrow so it will be coming directly into the harbour.
“The last time I have seen weather like this was 2014, it is quite spectacular to watch but bits of trees and rocks land onto the road.
“It worries me for other people.”
Sepa has issued an additional 18 flood warnings, in addition to the sever flood warning for Angus.
Aberdeenshire Council issued instructions to residents who may have to evacuate.
It said: “If the police, council or other emergency services, ask you to leave your home for your own safety and that of others, turn off the electricity and water supply at the main switch (be sure you know where these are located) and take your grab bag with you.
“If you have to evacuate your home, it will make things a lot easier if you have prepared a ‘Grab Bag’ in advance containing a packing list to follow should you need to use it.”
A spokesman for Angus Council said: “As ever, we will be targeting our energies and resources on the areas of greatest need, focusing on preserving life and ensuring the safety of our citizens.”
Pascal Lardet, Sepa flood duty manager, said: “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.”
