UPDATE: Storm Kathleen gales warning for Highlands extended by Met Office
Storm Kathleen’s gale-force winds are expected to lash the north-west Highlands longer than originally predicted, the Met Office has warned after extending a yellow warning.
A warning for strong winds came into force in Lochalsh, Wester Ross, western and north-western Sutherland at 9am on Sunday, The warning area also covers all of the Outer Hebrides, Skye, Raasay, the Small Isles, Coll and Tiree.
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Yellow weather warning for gales in the Highlands issued by Met Office as Storm Kathleen nears
The warning was originally expected to remain in force until 3pm on Sunday, but the Met Office has now extended that until midnight in order to “cater for a second peak in winds and associated coastal impacts this evening”.
The warning comes amid dozens of flood warnings and flood alerts for parts of Scotland as a result of concerns over coastal flooding, with Storm Kathleen’s winds coinciding with high spring tides due to tomorrow’s new moon.
Commenting on the flood alerts in place for Wester Ross, Caithness and Sutherland, a spokesperson for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said: “On Sunday there is a risk of coastal flooding around times of high water due to a combination of high tides, surge and waves.
“Significant impacts are possible including flooding of roads, properties and parts of communities, disruption to travel and infrastructure and possible danger to life due to wave overtopping.”
Flood alerts are also in place right around the Moray Firth, while flood warnings - the next level up on the alert scale - have also been issued for sections of the coast from Findhorn to Lossiemouth and from the Spey Viaduct to Spey Bay.
