Elected Member Briefing - Adverse weather update, 21 January 2024

About this Briefing Note

Report by: Mary Willis, Communications and Design Co-ordinator

EMBN Number: 004-24

Date: 21 January 2024

Subject: Adverse weather update, 21 January 2024

Responsible Officer: Barbara Renton, Executive Director (Communities)

Details

Purpose

This Briefing Note provides an update to Elected Members on preparations for forecast adverse weather as a result of Storm Isha in Perth and Kinross.

Update

The Met Office have today (Sunday 21 January 2024) updated their amber warning for wind linked to Storm Isha to cover all of Scotland except for the Shetland Islands, with high impacts forecast from 6pm tonight until 6am on Monday 22 January.  

This now sits alongside the existing yellow weather warning for rain from 3pm until 11.59pm today and a yellow wind warning for all of Scotland except the Shetland Islands from 4pm on Tuesday to 12noon on Wednesday. Further information is available from the Met Office website. 

Flooding

Council officers are keeping in contact with SEPA regarding the potential for flooding issues. Current tide and flow predictions for the River Tay catchment suggest a maximum river height tomorrow morning of 1000-1050 cumecs. As a precautionary measure, as it is unclear what the impact of snow melt in the Tay catchment area will be, we have closed the flood gates on the North Inch and at Charlotte Street this afternoon. Additionally staff will attend at Perth Harbour tomorrow at 7.30am to close flood gates there as required. We have been checking with Scottish Water in terms of pumps in Perth and Bridge of Earn. Due to the flood warning on the Earn, Council officers are also checking gullies in Bridge of Earn, and trash screens on the Craigie Burn are also being checked and cleared. 
 
The flood gates on the South Inch remain closed following the yellow weather warning earlier this week.  

Preparing for Storm Isha

As a result of the current forecast conditions, a Tayside Local Resilience Partnership has taken place as has a meeting of the Council's IMT. Our Parking and Civil Contingencies provision has been put on standby; we have been in touch with community resilience groups locally, and Council staff willing to help with set-up and operation of rest centres, as well as local public transport providers, have been contacted. 

The Council is taking a watching brief approach given that the worst of the weather being forecast is expected to occur overnight. Provision of school transport will be reviewed first thing tomorrow morning depending on the impact of the wind and rain on local roads. 

Information will be posted on the Council's social media advising residents to be as prepared as possible; to travel with care on local roads bearing in mind the potential for fallen trees and other debris, and that fallen trees will not be attended to by our staff during the hours of darkness, for health and safety reasons.

Further updates

Depending on conditions later today, LRP and IMT meetings may be held this evening.  A meeting of the IMT will take place tomorrow to review, and respond to, any impact from the weather overnight. We will provide any further updates as appropriate.