Storm Babet: Public safety must be priority in extreme weather
The frequency and severity of storms hitting Scotland show why we must redouble our efforts to climate-proof our communities, says the Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman who has urged people to take extreme caution.
Scotland has been hit by Storm Babet, which has seen the first red weather warning in several years issued for exceptionally heavy and persistent rain across south Aberdeenshire and Angus which are in the North East region that Ms Chapman represents. There are also several amber and yellow warnings for rain and wind affecting much of the country.
Ms Chapman said:
“A lot of people are understandably worried and anxious about storm Babet, and the impact it is already having. Our priority has to be safety, and I urge everyone in the affected areas to follow news and weather updates and to exercise extreme caution.
“In south Aberdeenshire, Angus and other parts of the North East region that I represent, residents are preparing for flooding and being told not to travel unless absolutely necessary.
“With flights grounded, a lot of rail routes already suspended and residents being urged to stay inside, it’s clear that there will be widespread disruption. I am very grateful to all of the emergency service workers and others who are going to be working through the storm and its aftermath to protect our communities.
“Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common and are putting homes, vital infrastructure and even lives at risk.
“Our environment is changing around us, whether it is the record temperatures of the summer or the storms we are seeing now. We cannot allow the climate chaos we are seeing today to become even more common.
“We need to redouble our efforts to climate-proof our country and to ensure that we are taking the action that is so necessary if we are to avoid even more extreme events in the future.”
