Stay at home! Resilience group issues warning ahead of Storm Éowyn, as schools and colleges set to close, and rail services suspended
All non-urgent hospital appointments also cancelled, along with swim and gym sessions, bin collections and court
Last updated 23rd Jan 2025
People in the Scottish Borders are being urged to stay at home ahead of Storm Éowyn's arrival tomorrow (Friday).
The Met Office has issued a rare Red - danger to life - warning, covering a large part of the region - with winds of up to 90mph "expected widely".
It's set to be in force between 10am and 5pm, and comes on top of wider Amber and Yellow weather warnings, although the threat of snow has now been eased.
Peebles, Galashiels, Selkirk, Melrose and Lauder are all covered by the upgraded alert.
Scottish Borders Council has confirmed ALL SCHOOLS in the region will be closed on Friday, amid concerns for the safety of staff and pupils.
Berwick Middle School is among the schools in Northumberland also set to close for the day.
It follows the announcement from Borders College that all its campuses are also set to shut.
The local authority - which is setting up a multi-agency group to co-ordinate its response - is warning of "significant disruption".
Train operators have announced there will be no services on the East Coast Main Line or Borders Railway due to the extreme weather; while forecasters are also predicting "very dangerous" driving conditions because of fallen trees.
In addition, all council-run public transport and Borders Bus services are also cancelled for Friday.
There will be no bin collections; Contact Centres and Social Work offices will be closed, with services available online or over the phone; Some care at home services may also be affected - with families being asked to help where possible.
All court buildings in the Borders will also be closed, as will all Live Borders facilities - including the region's swimming pools and gyms.
And the National Trust is urging anyone planning a trip to St Abbs Head nature reserve to postpone their visit.
David Robertson, Chief Executive of Scottish Borders Council, said: “Red weather warnings are extremely rare and highlights the very real risk to life from this incoming storm.
“As a precaution, and in line with the guidance and advice we’ve received from partners including the Met Office and Police Scotland, we have taken the decision to close all Borders schools on Friday and to cancel or close various services. This is in the interest of public and staff safety.
“With strong winds expected into Saturday it is likely that any clear up efforts will extend right through the weekend, particularly in relation to clearing fallen trees from roads. We will not put staff in danger to clear trees when there is a risk of others coming down, and therefore road closures could be in place for some time. It is likely that there will be disruption to services into the weekend.”
Locals are being advised to secure any garden furniture, and tie down their trampolines; while all vessels in Eyemouth harbour are to double their mooring ropes.
Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team has also been put on standby.
Paul Spence, from Peebles Resilient Community Group, told Greatest Hits Radio: "All the Scottish Borders resilient community groups will have a number of volunteers ready to assist at the request of SBC.
"However, the advice really is to stay at home and avoid any unnecessary travel. And this obviously applies to our volunteers as well, where safety of life is the primary concern.
"As a group, it's very difficult to prepare for these things, as we're really facing the unknown - unlike when we get snow or flooding.
"Some of the challenges we may expect will be the loss of power, the loss of utilities, and the loss of access to roads. So, really it's a case of people staying indoors and waiting until the storm has passed, and then we can start rectifying these issues."
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NHS Borders has announced that all non-urgent outpatient appointments and routine hospital appointments schedule for tomorrow have also been put on hold.
A health board spokesperson said: "We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause, but in view of the travel advice from Police Scotland, we do not want to risk patients travelling for non-urgent care.
"Urgent and emergency care and essential maternity and community services will continue to be provided.
"If you are affected by these cancellations, we will reschedule your appointment as soon as possible.
"We are contacting patients this afternoon and evening, but would be grateful if you could share this information with any friends or family who may be affected."
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