The Met Office has advised that East Lothian is covered by a red weather warning for wind between 10am and 5pm on Friday 24 January 2025.
This means that very strong winds associated with Storm Éowyn will cause very dangerous conditions and significant disruption on Friday. View the weather warning on the Met Office website.
This page will be regularly updated with impacts on services.
Schools
All East Lothian Council schools and early learning and childcare settings will be closed on Friday 24 January 2025 on essential safety grounds.
Schools will be in touch with families directly on what remote learning will look for their child. They will reopen on Monday 27 January. Read the letter sent to families.
A BACS payment to cover Friday's closure will be made on Monday to families for primary and secondary pupils who are registered for free school meals (not universal provision P1-P5).
Bins and recycling
All waste collection services have been suspended on Friday and our recycling centres will be closed for the day. Please do not present any bins, containers or bags on Friday as these will not be collected.
For garden and non-recyclable waste collections missed on Friday, please present on Monday and collections teams will get to these as soon as possible.
Recycling pick-ups will resume on Monday as normal. For those missed on Friday, please present on the next collection date on Friday 31 January when any excess material will be accommodated.
Our recycling centres will re-open on Saturday 25 January if deemed safe to do so. Site inspections will take place on Saturday morning and a delayed opening time may be put into effect.
Public buildings
All libraries, area offices, museums, community centres and public toilets will be closed on Friday as a result of the red weather warning.
All facilities managed by Enjoy Leisure will be closed on Friday, reopening as normal (subject to facility inspections) on Saturday 25th January. This includes all leisure facilities, swimming pools, golf courses and grass and 3G pitches. All swimming lessons, gymnastics, fitness activities and pitch lets will also be cancelled.
Emergency contacts
Although our offices and public buildings will be closed, our services are still operating. You can contact us on any of the following numbers in an emergency situation:
East Lothian Contact Centre – 01620 827827 (9am-5pm Monday to Thursday, 9am-4pm Friday)
Housing Repair Emergencies only – 01875 612818
Homeless Hotline freephone number – 01620 827536
Social work emergencies – 01875 824309
Road services / transportation emergencies – 01875 612818
You can also report a problem, apply for a service or make a payment online from the links on our homepage.
Travel advice
Police have advised that conditions for travel may be extremely dangerous with disruption and significant delays. If travel is absolutely necessary, be aware of disruption in your area by checking Traffic Scotland's website and listen to media broadcasts, including radio for updates. Roads should be kept clear for emergency services and essential road maintenance vehicles. Find out more.
Check the status of bus services before travelling as these may be subject to disruption:
Service Updates - Lothian Buses
Service Alerts - Prentice of Haddington
The bridge that carries the A1 trunk road over the River Tyne in East Lothian will be closed as a safety precaution from 6am on Friday. A diversion route will be signposted via the A199 between Abbotsview Junction near Haddington and Thistly Cross Roundabout near Dunbar. This is expected to add approximately 4 minutes and 0.1 miles to affected journeys.
We would respectfully ask that people refrain from visiting woodlands and areas with trees in East Lothian during the high winds.
Please follow RNLI advice to stay a safe distance from water, as conditions could knock you off your feet or wash you into the sea.
Met Office top tips for staying safe in strong winds
The Met Office has top tips for staying safe in strong winds, including protecting your property from damage and keeping yourself and other people safe from injury. Read the tips from their website.
External information
Met Office website and X
Ready Scotland website, X and Facebook
Transport Scotland website and X
Lothian Buses website, X and Facebook (includes East Coast buses and Eve's coaches)
Prentice of Haddington website and X