What are some of the lessons we can learn from the storm in January 2025.
The first month of 2025 had witnessed probably one of the most terrifying and destructive storms that Scotland had seen in thirteen years. The phones buzzed with a rare red warning sent to millions of people in Scotland beforehand, striking fear for the great risks this storm was to bring. As predicted, the worst came true, and Scotland was hit with gusts of wind that travelled at 100 mph; the trains were cancelled, roads closed, 200,000 properties experienced long power outages, and houses had missing roofs. Amidst the ferocious impact, an innocent 19-year-old, Calum Carmichael, lost his life while driving near Mauchline, East Ayrshire, on 24 January. The previous windstorms affecting Central Scotland were in 2012 and 1998, and reports of another one in less than thirteen years raised concern towards the rapid climate change affecting Scotland.
Why is it that Scotland had to go through red warnings and tragic impacts to get the officials riled up? How can we trust our lives with a government whose dedication to climate change comes alive only in the worst-case scenario?
According to data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, “2024 was the warmest year on record for Europe, with an average temperature of 10.69°C, 1.47°C above the average for the 1991-2020 reference period, and 0.28°C warmer than the previous record set in 2020.” This statistic is a testimony to the quick spread of Storm Eowyn in the UK. Developed through a process called explosive cyclogenesis, a video from space showed how the storm rapidly took a turn for the worse, as the lowest value for storm pressure was 941.9 hPa on 24 December 2013, even before storm naming was introduced.
While Scottish First Minister John Swinney passionately claimed that the storm “is a warning that climate change is with us,” the important question to raise is whether there is a possibility of curbing such a disaster from repeating itself. The first and foremost focus of the Scottish government should be to have a foolproof plan for addressing and preparing resources to prevent severe damage to the citizens.
Environmental Scientist, Dr Tara Shine says, “We have the data, we had the data back then, but we weren’t adequately planning, acting, investing or learning at that time.” We can infer that a lack of initiatives towards disaster management led to the impact on energy sources and other infrastructures. With the circulating images of trees that fell onto older structures in Scotland, Dr Hayes, an Associate Professor in Power Systems Engineering at UCC, raised an apt concern for improving resilience to storms by revamping the infrastructure in place. Considering the storm damage to Barmulloch Library and Milton Library in Glasgow, this initiative holds true and is effective. Meanwhile, in terms of energy sources, Dr Hayes predicted that citizens would use home batteries as a source of local backup generation. The government needs to increase the usage and access to backup generators and present strict guidelines for saving energy resources during such events. Moreover, with the National Health Service continuing to be notorious for its downfalls, with ridiculous waiting lists, inequalities and severe lack of manpower, there is a massive need to create services that can address casualties and hospital resources for another storm in the future. One of the nurses in Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Falkirk recalled the horror of a power outage during Storm Eowyn when the backup generator had failed. This lack of preparedness on the part of the Scottish government can have consequences that are untameable and irreversible in the future.
Furthermore, a decline in telecommunications is more of a reason for the Scottish government to have a disaster management plan in place. According to a report, on the day of the storm, “Scotland and Northern Ireland, mobile download speeds at the 10th percentile—a critical metric reflecting the poorest network performance—dropped significantly on the same day, falling by 63% to 2.19 Mbps and by 74% to 1.31 Mbps, respectively, compared to the 7-day average.” A lack of networking not only meant disconnection from family and friends, but also an unprecedented level of isolation that can take a toll on the physical and mental well-being of the citizens. The Scottish Government needs to focus on building telecommunication resilience by improving existing infrastructures. The fact that key areas need immediate improvement, such as better cooperation between different energy sectors, brainstorming on funds for better resources and realising that telecommunications should be a national priority.
Due to climate change storms are inevitable in Scotland. Before there is another unfortunate loss of lives, mass destruction, and impact on livelihoods, the government needs to have strict protocols in place to prevent any severe consequences.
Photo credits: BBC News
