Hundreds in Scotland told to evacuate as northern Europe braces for gale-force winds and floods

By SYLVIA HUI and JAN M. OLSEN
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Hundreds of people are being evacuated from their homes and schools have closed in parts of Scotland, as much of northern Europe braces for stormy weather, heavy rain and gale-force winds from the east. The U.K.’s weather forecaster, the Met Office, issued a rare red alert, the highest level of weather warning, for parts of Scotland. It warned that “exceptional rainfall” Thursday and Friday is expected to cause extensive flooding and “danger to life from fast-flowing or deep floodwater.” In Denmark, residents scrambled to place sandbags along exposed areas. The Danish Meteorological Institute said waves could reach 4 meters along east-facing coasts. Copenhagen’s airport and the Danish national rail company warned of cancellations and delays on Friday.