Storm Arwen review recommendations update: October 2022

Conclusions

Storm Arwen was one of the most damaging winter storms of the last decade. 

The damage caused was the result of an unusual combination of windspeed and wind direction – indeed UK wind records going back over 150 years show that of days where severe gales have been recorded, only 6% had a northerly wind direction, occurring on roughly 1 day every 8 years on average. 

Our weather is becoming more challenging in a number of ways.   Rainfall totals from storms are likely to increase under a warming climate, and there is a risk that a greater proportion of UK storms could have more damaging winds.  The frequency of heatwaves in Scotland is also projected to increase, bringing with them associated health risks. 

In this context it is vital that we learn from each and every opportunity given to us, and that our systems and processes continue adapt and improve, in order to ensure that our ability to respond – and more importantly to provide assistance to those in need – remains world class.   

It is hoped that the review in to the unusual circumstances of Storm Arwen not only allows us to prepare for a similar incident happening again, but provides us an opportunity to put in place measures which will improve our capability to respond to a much wider range of risks.

We would like to thank Scotland’s responder community for their engagement with this process throughout a period of numerous other challenges, and hope that the evidence set out here goes some way to reassure communities across Scotland that lessons have been learned and improvements will continue to be made which will collectively strengthen our emergency response processes.