Amber weather warning

Ministers have activated the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGORR) to prepare for strong, windy conditions from Storm Boelo, which are predicted to impact the whole of mainland Scotland and the Western Isles this weekend.

SGORR convened after the Met Office issued an amber weather warning for wind from 9pm on Saturday 24 October, lasting 24 hours. It also follows heavy rain from Storm Austen, which has caused an increased risk of flooding in some areas.

The meeting was chaired by Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville and was attended by a number of agencies involved in the response, including Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, and the Met Office.

Ms Somerville said:

“Much of Scotland will experience very high winds this weekend, and people should be aware of the potential impacts of the Met Office’s amber alert, which includes transport and power disruption.

“The wind, coupled with the rain brought by Storm Austen, means that travel conditions could be dangerous and I would urge anyone planning travel to check their journey and follow all relevant advice before setting off.

“Our resilience and emergency system, SGORR, has now been activated to co-ordinate our response, and I am grateful for the work of partners across the country to keep everyone safe.

“SGORR will continue to monitor the situation closely over the weekend and provide regular updates to the public.”