Storm Babet – live: Major incidents declared as three killed during flood chaos and red weather warnings

Major incidents were declared in parts of the UK after three people were killed as Storm Babet continues to batter the UK with high winds, torrential rain and severe flooding.

Across the UK, roads have closed and train services have been left in disarray or cancelled.

Suffolk and Derbyshire county councils declared major incidents, and a man died in fast-flowing floodwater in Shropshire.

It was the storm’s first death in England after a van driver was killed by a falling tree near Forfar, Scotland, and a woman was swept away in a river in Angus.

A passenger plane had to be evacuated after it skidded off the runway at Leeds Bradford Airport as it tried to land in high winds.

The village of Edzell, near Brechin in eastern Scotland, was completely cut off by flooding, while people in 60 homes around Brechin who had refused to budge when the rest of the town was evacuated were finally rescued as hundreds of houses flooded.

The Met Office issued a new red warning for rain, meaning there is a risk to life, in eastern Scotland for all day on Saturday.

Have you been affected by Storm Babet? Email athena.stavrou@independent.co.uk.

Key Points

• Storm claims third life, this time in Shropshire

• More havoc to come on Saturday, say experts

• Plane skids off runway as it lands in high winds

• Suffolk declares major incident amid flooding

• Around 27,000 homes lose power

• Town evacuated over flooding fears

Pinned post: People airlifted out of homes in Angus

14:01 , Matt Mathers

People in up to 100 homes across Angus in East Scotland have been rescued from their flooded homes, with some airlifted out, a local authority official has said.

Jacqui Semple, head of risk, resilience and safety for Angus Council, said people were rescued from between 80 to 100 homes across the region.

In Bridge of Dun, residents were airlifted out via helicopter, while in other areas those stranded were rescued by boats, including canoes.

No-one is now thought to be stranded.

Ms Semple praised the response from those in Angus and elsewhere, saying offers of accommodation have come from the local area and further afield.

She said: "Fortunately the Met Office update and our Sepa update this morning is showing that we have an improving picture and the red warnings and our amber warnings they have been reduced in timescales to 6pm.

"So that means we are looking at definite improvements in our river levels.

"We’re not out of the woods by a long shot. There’s still a lot of rain to come through, but less so, and there is still a lot of water lying right across Angus. Lots of water in the upper catchments that will still have to come down into our rivers."

Three ‘danger to life’ flood warnings issued in Derbyshire

13:05 , Matt Mathers

Three “danger to life” flood warnings have been issued in Derbyshire, where an MP says around 400 homes have already been flooded.

The warnings are in place around the River Derwent in Derbyshire, whose water levels have reached record highs.

The alerts are for Derby City Water Treatment Works, Little Chester, Eastgate and Cattle Market, and Racecourse Park at Chaddesden.

Rail chaos across northern England

12:50 , Matt Mathers

Storm Babet has been causing travel disruption as well as flooding. Simon Calder, The Independent’s travel expert, reports:

LNER, the main train operator on the East Coast main line linking London with Yorkshire, northeast England and Scotland, is urging travellers: “Please do NOT travel today.

“Following extensive disruption on Friday 20 October, crews and trains are displaced across the country and services today are subjec to short-notice cancellation.

“Many rail routes are suspended due to flooding and an extremely limited service is in operation.

“We also expect services to be disrupted throughout Sunday 22 October.

“Your LNER ticket will be valid for travel between Monday 23 October and Friday 27 October.”

Many rail lines in northern England are closed because of flooding, including Harrogate to Leeds, Leeds to Skipton, Sheffield to Lincoln, Doncaster to Leeds and Doncaster to Sheffield and Rotherham.

Between Hexham and Carlisle, a tree is blocking the railway.

Liverpool and England footballer Trent Alexander-Arnold in minor car crash

12:33 , Matt Mathers

England footballer Trent Alexander-Arnold was involved in a minor car crash after a pylon was blown over in strong winds.

The Liverpool defender’s Range Rover collided with a car after the 40-foot pylon fell into a country lane near Knutsford, Cheshire, on Friday morning, The Sun reported.

Cheshire Police said no-one was hurt in the incident; which came as Storm Babet swept across the country - causing widespread flooding and high winds, killing three people.

Emergency crews rescue 20 people from care home trapped by floods

12:15 , Matt Mathers

Emergency crews have had to rescue 20 people from a care home in Derbyshire as cars were submerged in flood water in the county, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue have said.

More than 100 people had to be rescued in Derbyshire on Friday and the service declared a major incident due to the impact of Storm Babet.

Clive Stanbrook, area manager at Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service, warned flood waters could continue to rise near Derby and across south Derbyshire on Saturday.

Mr Stanbrook told BBC Breakfast: “We rescued over 100 people yesterday. For example, just on one road in Chesterfield in the north of the county, we rescued 60 people when that (water level) became up to the top of cars and several HGVs were stuck as well.

“There is a village called Duffield in Derbyshire and we rescued 20 people from one care home there.

“Also there were 18 houses that were evacuated in a village called Ironville, again in the north of the county.”

Recap: What is fuelling Storm Babet?

11:50 , Matt Mathers

Experts say Babet is an “extraordinary” storm which has been fuelled by several factors, including the impact of a typhoon on jet stream and rising temperatures.

“Storm Babet is an extraordinary piece of weather caused by the interaction of a number of linked conditions across the world,” Dr Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, said.

“The jet stream, which plays such an important role in the weather in Europe, has been squeezed into a weird position, partly as a result of a powerful typhoon that hit Japan last week.”

Stuti Mishra has more below:

What is fueling the ‘extraordinary’ Storm Babet?

3 inches of rain falls overnight in Sheffiled

11:35 , Matt Mathers

Three inches of rain fell overnight on Friday in Sheffield, the Met Office has said.

Further rain is expected in the area on Saturday as Storm Babet lashed the country with heavy downpours.

Pp to 100mm (4in) could fall in 24 hours in some areas of Scotland, where a rare red weather alert is in place.

Follow evacation advice, first minister tells Scots

11:28 , Matt Mathers

People told to evacuate parts of Scotland due to the flood risk from Storm Babet should comply with the advice, the country’s first minister Humza Yousaf has said.

Residents in parts of Angus and Aberdeenshire have been advised to evacuate after a rare red warning for rain was issued by authorities.

“A Red Weather Warning remains in place for Angus & parts of Aberdeenshire,” Mr Yousaf wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

“Please comply with the advice being given, particularly if you are asked to evacuate, it is for your own safety. We continue to engage with local partners & emergency services to coordinate our response.”

33,000 were left without power in Scotland

11:18 , Matt Mathers

Some 33,000 people were left without power in Scotland overnight during Storm Babet.

As of early this morning, around 1,100 homes remained without electricity, Scottish and Southern Electricity Network said.

“We’re making good progress for our customers in response to this very severe storm,” Andy Smith, the firm’s operation director, said.

“The impacts of high winds and flooding mean it’s a challenge to get to all faults quickly and safely.

“But we have brought in considerable extra operational capacity to respond to issues that today’s weather may bring, including teams from our contractors and network partners.”

TUI apologises after plane skids off runway

11:15 , Matt Mathers

Travel company has apologised after one of its planes skidded off a runway yesterday during the adverse weather conditions.

In an updated statement, the firm also confirmed that no one was injured following the incident at Leeds Bradford Airport.

“We would like to apologise to all those impacted by the ongoing closure of Leeds Bradford Airport following an incident that took place shortly after landing on TOM3551 on Friday 19th October,” it said.

“The safety of our customers and crew is our number one priority and can confirm there were no reported injuries, with all passengers disembarking the aircraft via the steps.”

400 homes flooded in Derbyshire - local MP

10:50 , Matt Mathers

About 400 homes have been flooded in a Derbyshire town, the local MP has said.

Labour’s Toby Perkins said homes and roads in his Chesterfield constituency had been badly hit by heavy rain.

"About 400 houses have been flooded, many of the businesses here have lost all their stock and will be closed,” he told the BBC.

"I’ve just been into Tramway pub which was knee high in water, has no electricity. And so last night we had people at the Queen’s Park Sports Centre who didn’t have anywhere to stay.

"Many of the people who live in this area are private renters, many of them don’t have flood insurance because you can’t get flood insurance if you’re in an area that’s prone to flooding.

“So a lot of the people I was speaking to last night have no idea where they’re going to be living from now.”

Four people trapped on car roof amid Storm Babet floods rescued by Nottingham fire service

10:30 , Matt Mathers

Nottingham Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) helped four people trapped on car roof after floods to safety on Thursday 19 October as Storm Babet engulfed the Midlands, Oliver Browning reports.

On Friday, an amber weather warning for rain was in place for some parts of northern England including Yorkshire and Manchester, as well as some of the Midlands, including Nottingham.

Rescues efforts have been extended as three people have died and hundreds of homes have been flooded during Storm Babet.

Via social media platform X, NFRS warned people not to put their lives and those of the fire services at risk by attempting to drive through flood water.

Watch part of the rescue effort here:

Four people trapped on car roof amid Storm Babet floods rescued by fire service

Hundreds of flood warnings in place

10:05 , Matt Mathers

Hundreds of flood warnings are in place across England and Scotland as Storm Babet brings heavy downpours.

Some 339 red alerts have been issued in parts of England, with residents in the affected areas told “flooding is expected”.

Scottish authorities, meanwhile, have issued 19 warnings with alerts for further rain also in force.

Flood barriers being erected in ‘high-risk’ areas

09:47 , Matt Mathers

Julie Foley, director of flood strategy and adaptation at the Environment Agency, has said temporary flood barriers are being deployed in high-risk areas.

She told BBC One’s Breakfast programme: "Flooding has devastating impacts for people actually in terms of the impacts on their homes, as well as much longer term impacts actually, that you don’t see afterwards in terms of the mental health impacts.

"To offer reassurance, the Environment Agency teams are operating and working really hard around the country, with other emergency providers and with local communities to do our best to keep people safe.

"So we’re operating all of our flood barriers using our flood storage areas, we’re deploying temporary barriers to areas at high-risk and we’re making sure our flood defences are operating really well.

"And we’re already seeing the impacts of that in terms of better protecting thousands of properties around the country."

Over 100 people rescued in Derbyshire, says fire service

09:41 , Tara Cobham

Clive Stanbrook, area manager at Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service, told BBC Breakfast that more than 100 people had been rescued on Friday, including 20 people from a care home in Duffield.

He said: “We declared a major incident at four o’clock yesterday afternoon, that was because of intense rainfall and intense flooding that we expected to get worse as the day went on.

“We had multiple rescues last night. We are expecting the peak in the middle of the county at 4am this morning which will then go further to the south of the county later on this morning into early afternoon.

“We rescued over 100 people yesterday. For example, just on one road in Chesterfield in the north of the county, we rescued 60 people when that (water level) became up to the top of cars and several HGVs were stuck as well.

“There is a village called Duffield in Derbyshire and we rescued 20 people from one care home there.

“Also there was 18 houses that were evacuated in a village called Ironville, again in the north of the county.”

Leeds Bradford Airport set to reopen at 10am on Saturday

09:03 , Tara Cobham

Leeds Bradford Airport is set to reopen at 10am on Saturday after closing on Friday when high winds forced a passenger plane to skid off a runway.

In a statement on its website at 6.15am, the airport said: “The airport remains closed due to an earlier incident.

“We expect to reopen at 10am today, however we will continue to post regular updates as this is subject to change.

“We are working collaboratively to resolve this situation and return services safely and as quickly as possible.

“We ask passengers to contact their airline to check the status of their flight before travelling to the airport.”

Watch: Clever sheepdog saves ewes stranded on Welsh farm

08:30 , Tara Cobham

A sheepdog came to the rescue of three ewes who had been cut off by floodwater as Storm Babet unleashed floods all over the UK.

Llyr Derwydd, 44, a farmer from near Ruthin in Wales, said he had gone to check on his sheep in Flintshire on Friday afternoon (20 October) when he saw three ewes “stranded on this little spot on the field” having been “cut off” by the water.

With the water producing dangerous conditions for a rescue, sheepdog Patsy was the heroine of the hour.

“I just thought, ‘I’ll see if the dog will go’. I gave her the command and she swam across,” Mr Derwydd said.

“It was quite dangerous because I didn’t know how deep it was. She’s a strong swimmer and she was able to swim across.”

Oliver Browning reports:

Watch: Clever sheepdog saves ewes stranded on Welsh farm as Storm Babet floods UK

In pictures: Storm Babet raging through the UK on Friday

08:10 , Tara Cobham

‘A very wet start to Saturday’, says Met Office

07:47 , Tara Cobham

“A very wet start” is how the Met Office has described the beginning of Saturday as Storm Babet continues to batter the UK.

The forecaster wrote on X: “A very wet start to Saturday in Scotland and parts of northern England with strong easterly winds.”

“Brighter further showers, although scattered showers continue, particularly in the southeast.”

Storm Babet shows no signs of abating on Saturday

07:30 , Tara Cobham

Storm Babet shows no signs of abating as downpours continue to batter the UK on Saturday, with three people dead and another red "danger to life" warning in place.

The rare red weather warning has been issued for parts of eastern Scotland all day, prompting First Minister Humza Yousaf to warn: "We have not seen the last of this."

Yellow and amber warnings for rain that were in place across much of England overnight have expired, however a yellow warning for wind remains in place until 12pm across the north east of England and eastern Scotland.

Across England, there were over 353 flood warnings and 248 alerts on Saturday morning, while 55,000 people were left without power on Friday as a result of the storm. Around 45,000 of those were reconnected to the grid as of the evening, the Energy Networks Association said.

Met forecaster Jonathan Vautrey said: "The focus of the rainfall from Saturday shifts back northwards over towards eastern and northern Scotland.

"Some parts of those areas have seen about a month and a half's worth of rain already, but there's another band that's forecast to track its way northwards over the course of the night and push its way towards relatively similar areas.

"So there are further red and amber rain warnings in force for Saturday, with the potential to push those areas close towards two months of rain in the span of three days."

Dozens in rescue centres in Angus

06:00 , Katy Clifton

More than 75 people were in rescue centres in Angus, east Scotland, on Friday night, while Angus Council said people in more than 60 homes in Brechin, who refused previous evacuation attempts, required rescue.

Jacqui Semple, head of risk, resilience and safety for Angus Council, said: “People are devastated. This is awful.

“It would be awful. Your house flooded, your belongings, the impact emotionally and physically and everything that goes with that.

“They’ve got all of those people who have been affected arriving at our rest centres in such a state – wet, cold, and just so unbelievably upset.”

Flood warnings

05:00 , Jane Dalton

Across England, there were over 283 flood warnings and 243 alerts on Friday evening, while 55,000 people were left without power as a result of the storm.

By Friday evening, around 45,000 of those were reconnected to the grid but 10,000 were still without power, the Energy Networks Association said.

Flooding caused 70-minute delays on the A1 near Grantham, National Highways said, while further south, Suffolk declared a major incident on Friday as Storm Badet caused “major flooding” across the county.

Flights cancelled after Tui runway incident

03:00 , Simon Calder

The closure of Leeds Bradford airport after a Tui plane veered off the runway caused dozens of delayed, cancelled or diverted flights.

More than 2,000 passengers were hit by a total of 34 cancellations, including Ryanair flights to Palma, Malaga and Chania in Crete.

Wizz Air has cancelled flights linking Leeds Bradford with Krakow and Katowice in Poland as well as Bucharest and Cluj in Romania.

Travellers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to be flown to their destination as soon as possible, and meanwhile the airline must provide hotels and meals as appropriate.

Tui holidaymakers hoping to return from Corfu to Manchester were also affected.

The aircraft involved in the runway excursion was flying what is known as a “W-pattern”. It began in Manchester on Friday morning, with a plan to fly to Corfu, back to Leeds Bradford and out to Corfu again before the return flight to Manchester.

ICYMI: Tui plane skids off runway

02:00 , Katy Clifton

A passenger plane at Leeds Bradford Airport had to be evacuated yesterday after it skidded off the runway as it tried to land in high winds.

Operator Tui said no one was injured, although the airport was briefly closed.

One passenger, Malcolm Fell, said the skid had been “a little bit dramatic” but everyone onboard was “quite calm”.

“'My wife, [who] was sat next to me, turned to me and said I think you better brace yourself because this is not going to stop. And then all of a sudden...we were at a standstill on the grass,” he told MailOnline.

In pictures: winds and rain

Saturday 21 October 2023 00:00 , Jane Dalton

Roads and bridges collapse

Friday 20 October 2023 22:30 , Jane Dalton

Roads and bridges collapsed as Storm Babet hit Scotland.

A 200-year-old bridge on the Rottal Estate in Angus was washed away by torrential flood water, while a road connecting Marykirk, Angus, where some houses were evacuated also collapsed.

Dee Ward, 58, estate manager for the Rottal Estate said: “I think this is the new pattern, I don’t think we will go back to normal.

“The frightening thing is how much water is coming down in a short space of time.

“I wasn’t surprised the bridge got washed away.

“Big posts had been ripped out further up the hill.”

Zena Cowie, 28, said a road had collapsed that connected Marykirk with the dual carriageway to Montrose, Angus.

Ms Cowie said: “The road at the start of the bridge that crosses the river has collapsed.

“Marykirk is the main way to the dual carriageway to get to the dual carriageway, to go into Montrose.

“The other way is to go into Brechin which is also flooded.”

Amber and yellow weather warnings for swathes of UK

Friday 20 October 2023 21:30 , Jane Dalton

An amber weather warning for rain is in place for some parts of northern England including Yorkshire and Manchester, as well as some of the Midlands, including Nottingham.

And a yellow weather warning for much of the east coast of the UK has been put in place for wind and rain on Saturday.

‘Considerable risk’ of Aberdeenshire river flooding

Friday 20 October 2023 20:20 , Jane Dalton

Aberdeenshire Council warned of “considerable risk of flooding” on the River Don at the weekend.

A spokesperson said: “Latest modelling from Sepa is indicating that there is now a considerable risk of flooding on the River Don at Inverurie, Kemnay and Kintore tomorrow (Sat) between 10am and 2pm.

“This has the potential to impact properties in low-lying areas and we would urge residents and businesses to get prepared and take immediate steps to protect their own property from flooding.”

Fallen tree blocks rail line

Friday 20 October 2023 19:50 , Jane Dalton

A fallen tree on the Neilston line in Scotland damaged overhead cables.

Major incident declared in Derbyshire as roads closed

Friday 20 October 2023 19:05 , Jane Dalton

A major incident has been declared in Derbyshire, prompting advice not travel unless essential until further notice this weekend.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service wrote: “Most roads in Derbyshire are affected by flooding and many are closed.

“We are calling on our communities to follow the advice below to keep safe: Do not travel unless essential from now until further information is available later in the weekend.

“Continue to watch for weather and flooding updates. Look out for vulnerable neighbours, especially if they have care services who may not be able to reach them.

“Never drive or walk into floodwater, even if it appears shallow – it could endanger your life.”

“Do not ignore road closed signs,” it added.

Long delays on A1 amid flooding

Friday 20 October 2023 19:00 , Jane Dalton

Flooding has caused delays of more than an hour on the A1 near Grantham, National Highways has said.

“Due to extensive flooding in the area, the A1 has reduced capacity both ways between the A46 and B6326 near Grantham. Traffic officers, Nottinghamshire Police and contractors are working to clear the water and get the lanes moving; there are delays of 70 minutes on the approach,” it posted.

Rail lines closed

Friday 20 October 2023 18:45 , Jane Dalton

ScotRail routes currently closed are between:

– Aberdeen and Elgin

– Edinburgh and Aberdeen via Fife

– Perth and Aberdeen via Dundee

– Dunblane and Perth

– Perth and Aviemore

– Tain and Wick / Thurso

– All Fife Circle services

Storm Babet travel advice - latest

Friday 20 October 2023 18:30 , Jane Dalton

For more travel advice, see our sister live blog:

Storm Babet travel advice: Plane skids off runway as drivers issued warning - live

Eight people rescued near Solihull

Friday 20 October 2023 18:10 , Jane Dalton

West Midlands Fire Service rescued eight people and a dog after vehicles became stranded in floodwater in the village of Balsall Common, near Solihull.

“Please avoid the area around Balsall Street, Balsall Common,” the service said.

“Several people whose vehicles got stuck in the water there have been brought to safety on rafts by our firefighters.

“Five men, two women, a child and a dog were ferried from five cars and a van. No-one was hurt.”

Thousands stranded after Anglo-Scottish trains cancelled mid-journey

Friday 20 October 2023 18:01 , Jane Dalton

Large parts of the UK rail network are off-limits to travellers tonight due to severe flooding caused by Storm Babet. And there are warnings that disruption may continue until Sunday.

The flagship East Coast main line, linking London, Yorkshire, northeast England and southern Scotland, is at a near-standstill.

LNER, the main operator, said on X: “Severe weather is causing major disruption to train services. Many rail routes are suspended. Please do NOT travel today.

“We have a number of train services currently delayed by this incident and we are working with Network Rail to get these trains moving through the affected area as soon as possible.

“Heavy rain flooding the railway between Grantham and Newark North Gate means trains have to run at a severely reduced speed on all lines.

“The additional journey time caused by the slow speeds is reducing the number of trains that can operate through the affected area.”

Tickets for travel on 20 October will be valid for travel until 27 October. The line is flooded at Grantham, with many trains to the north and south cancelled.

ScotRail has closed seven routes in eastern Scotland. It says: “Exceptionally wet and windy conditions have severely affected much of the country since Thursday, causing the Met Office to issue a red weather warning alongside a number of amber warnings.

“Another 24-hour red weather warning will come into place from midnight tonight in the northeast of the country and elsewhere there will still be very heavy rainfall and gusts of winds exceeding 55 miles per hour until at least Saturday afternoon.”

Rail service disruption could last until Sunday

Friday 20 October 2023 17:45 , Jane Dalton

Disruption to Scotland’s rail services could last until Sunday because of Storm Babet, operator ScotRail has warned.

Routes that are currently closed will not re-open unless it is deemed safe to do so.

ScotRail said it was taking longer than expected for engineers to inspect routes for damage due to the effect of the weather.

Customers have been warned they should only travel if necessary on routes affected.

Services between Glasgow Queen Street and Aberdeen/Inverness, and between Edinburgh Waverley and Aberdeen/Inverness are also subject to disruption.

Other routes across the network are having precautionary speed restrictions imposed, so services may be delayed or cancelled.

Plane overshot runway in storm

Friday 20 October 2023 17:25 , Jane Dalton

A Boeing 737-800 was landing at Leeds Bradford Airport in West Yorkshire when it “overshot the runway”. West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said there were no reported injuries.

Fire crews atten 300 emergencies in two days

Friday 20 October 2023 17:10 , Jane Dalton

Scottish fire and rescue crews say they have attended almost 70 emergencies including rescues from homes and floodwaters in one day.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said that since Thursday it had received around 750 emergency calls across Scotland and attended 300 incidents.

They have urged members of the public to stay away from floodwaters and to follow evacuation advice.

David Lockhart, assistant chief officer at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We are facing unprecedented flooding in many areas, and we must stress to the public that flood waters should always be avoided. Keep children and pets away from the water and do not travel in or around the affected areas wherever possible.

“This is a carefully planned and co-ordinated operation to ensure we are best placed to respond to emergencies and protect the welfare of our crews.”

Man in 60s dies in fast-flowing water

Friday 20 October 2023 17:08 , Jane Dalton

A man in his 60s died after getting caught in fast-flowing flood water from a brook that breached a road in Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire on Friday morning, West Mercia Police said.

The force said members of the public reported a man going under the water shortly before 10.40am.

Officers from West Mercia Police and Shropshire Fire and Rescue quickly attended but he was found dead at 12.35pm.

Formal identification has yet to take place but the family have been informed and are being supported by officers.

Some parts suffer over a month’s rainfall in 36 hours

Friday 20 October 2023 16:45 , Jane Dalton

More than a month’s rainfall has soaked parts of Scotland in the past 36 hours, and further heavy rain is likely at the weekend, say Met Office forecasters.

A second red warning is in place for Saturday for parts of eastern Scotland, where a further 70-100mm of rain could fall, with the highest accumulations over the hills.

Further rain is also expected more widely across Wales, northern England and the Midlands, and warnings are in place there.

The Met Office said the far north of Scotland and southern areas of the UK would have a mix of sunshine and showers over the coming days.

Man dies in Shropshire floodwater

Friday 20 October 2023 16:43 , Jane Dalton

A man has died after getting caught in fast-flowing flood water in the town of Cleobury Mortimer in Shropshire on Friday, West Mercia Police said.

Flooding reaches West Midlands

Friday 20 October 2023 16:25 , Jane Dalton

Parts of central and northern England have also been swamped.

An amber weather warning for rain is in place for some of the Midlands, including Nottingham, as well as parts of northern England including Yorkshire and Manchester.

This cafe in Telford, Shropshire, was flooded:

Plane skids off runway as it lands in high winds

Friday 20 October 2023 16:02 , Jane Dalton

A Tui Boeing 737 Max skidded off the runway at Leeds Bradford airport while landing in high winds.

And on the railways, the entire LNER network has come to an almost total halt because of Storm Babet:

Tui plane skids off runway at Leeds Bradford airport

Homes near Dundee to be evacuated

Friday 20 October 2023 15:50 , Jane Dalton

A number of homes in Monifieth, near Dundee, will be evacuated, Angus Council says.

Councillor Lloyd Melville said: “It will be hard for some people to leave their homes but they absolutely need to do so if asked.”

He also thanked council staff: “They have been absolutely knocking their pan in (to keep people safe). They are the people who need the thanks. They are literally saving people’s lives.”

Waves rip top off lighthouse

Friday 20 October 2023 15:35 , Jane Dalton

Giant waves ripped the top off a lighthouse.

But with dangerous sea conditions, it is not safe to assess the damage to the lighthouse at South Shields, the Port of Tyne authority said.

No traffic was going in and out of the river with six metres of sea swell, it said.

The authority is urging the public to keep away from the area, particularly the piers, because of the unsafe conditions.

Suffolk declares major incident amid flooding

Friday 20 October 2023 15:33 , Jane Dalton

Suffolk has declared a major incident as Storm Babet is causing serious flooding.

The county council urged residents not to travel unless absolutely necessary.

Jon Lacey, chief fire officer for the county, said: “The continuous heavy rainfall across Suffolk is causing severe flooding in several locations but is also making driving conditions more dangerous for everyone.

“We are therefore asking people to travel only where it is absolutely essential – for example collecting a child from school, accessing medical treatment or returning home from work.

“Reducing non-essential travel means more people stay safe and pressure on the emergency services is reduced.

“Although the Suffolk Resilience Forum will continue to do all it can to help protect our county, everyone needs to take precautions to ensure they do not put themselves in danger.

“We are responding whilst monitoring the situation closely and while the rain is forecast to ease over the weekend, we must all take action to ensure lives are protected.”

Flood waters cut off village, leaving no emergency vehicle access

Friday 20 October 2023 15:11 , Jane Dalton

A village in the worst affected region of Scotland has been completely cut off, authorities say.

There is now no emergency access except via helicopter to Edzell, near Brechin, according to Angus Council.

Council officials say they are working with a local flood group to provide support and a rest centre has been set up there.

Jacqui Semple, the council’s lead for risk, resilience and safety, said people were rescued from flood water at 60 homes in and around Brechin as hundreds of houses in the Angus Council area flooded.

Those rescued had refused previous evacuation efforts, she said.

Homes have been evacuated in Monifieth, on the outskirts of Dundee, as well as at Marykirk on the border with Aberdeenshire.

Storm Babet in pictures

Friday 20 October 2023 15:00 , Jane Dalton

Storm Babet is wreaking havoc in the north of the UK, with two people dead, hundreds of homes flooded or evacuated and another day of torrential rain to come.

Below you can keep up with the latest pictures from Storm Babet:

Storm Babet in pictures as two dead and town evacuated during red warning downpours

‘People arriving at rest centres wet, cold and unbelievably upset’

Friday 20 October 2023 14:50 , Jane Dalton

Jacqui Semple, head of risk, resilience and safety for Angus Council, said more than 75 people were in rest centres across the region after being forced to leave their flooded homes.

She said more than 50 were in a rest centre in Brechin, 17 in one in Montrose and nine in one in Forfar.

“People are devastated. This is awful,” she said.

“It would be awful. Your house flooded, your belongings, the impact emotionally and physically and everything that goes with that.

“They’ve got all of those people who have been affected arriving at our rest centres in such a state – wet, cold, upset and just so unbelievably upset.

“I can’t underestimate the fact that this is not just about the process of evacuating and rescuing. We’re doing that the try and save people’s lives and sometimes the hard reality is that property becomes a secondary thing but all of us like our personal possessions and things that are precious to us and we need to always never ever forget the human factor in this.”

Cordons widen around flooding

Friday 20 October 2023 14:35 , Jane Dalton

Emergency services have started widening a cordoned-off area beside the flooded parts of Brechin as more rescue vehicles arrive and the wind and rain intensify.

More havoc to come on Saturday, say experts

Friday 20 October 2023 14:20 , Jane Dalton

Storm Babet is set to continue into tomorrow, Saturday, with widespread effects on transport and infrastructure expected, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) says.

The agency has issued 12 regional flood alerts, 16 localised flood warnings and five severe flood warnings across Scotland.

It said there remained a danger to life, with a large part of central and northeast Scotland expecting more severe weather throughout Friday and into Saturday.

South Aberdeenshire, Dundee and Angus and the eastern parts of Tayside have had high rainfall.

Sepa said the “highest concern” areas were the North Esk and South Esk river.

A severe flood warning in the North Esk region is around Marykirk, with another flood warning for Logie Mill and Craigo.

The three severe warnings in the South Esk region are in Brechin, Kinnard/Bridge of Dun, and Finavon and Tannadice.

Sepa also warned there was an increasing risk across the eastern borders of Scotland and in East Lothian.

Homes damaged and roads closed in Dundee

Friday 20 October 2023 14:14 , Jane Dalton

Flooding from Storm Babet has led to properties being damaged in Dundee and roads closed around the city.

The council has opened a rest centre for those affected by the severe weather.

Dundee City Council said: “Storm Babet is bringing incredibly challenging conditions, particularly in the north and west of the city.

“This includes roads disruption, flood damage to properties and fallen trees.”

It continued: “Flood gates at Broughty Ferry and Riverside have been closed due to the heavy rain and high winds.

“Sepa has issued a flood alert for Dundee and Angus.

“Residents in flood-prone areas are recommended to stock up on their own flood prevention including sandbags or door flood stops from DIY stores and builders’ merchants.”

In pictures: Emergency rescues amid flooding

Friday 20 October 2023 14:02 , Jane Dalton

The Coastguard and emergency services helped residents to safety in Brechin as streets turned to rivers:

27,000 Scottish homes lost power

Friday 20 October 2023 14:00 , Athena Stavrou

More than 27,000 homes in Scotland lost power due to Storm Babet, according to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN).

The energy provider said as of 11.30am on Friday it had restored services to almost 24,000 homes and is working to reconnect 4,000 other properties which have been cut off.

Aberdeenshire, Angus and Perthshire are the main areas affected by power cuts.

Andy Smith, SSEN distribution operations director said: “Storm Babet’s severe effects continue to be felt, but our teams are making good progress. Through our automatic switching systems and the work of our teams on the ground, we have reconnected the majority of our customers who lost their supplies, and that effort continues today.

“We have 10 times our usual operational capacity to respond to issues as they occur.”

Met Office latest forecast

Friday 20 October 2023 13:45 , Athena Stavrou

The Met Office has revealed this weekend’s forecast as Storm Babet continues to “influence” weather across Britain.

Saturday will bring strong winds and further heavy rain in Scotland, while Sunday will see winds get slightly lighter.

Coastguard helicopter search for man feared trapped in vehicle

Friday 20 October 2023 13:42 , Jane Dalton

A major search is under way for a man reportedly to be trapped in a vehicle in floodwater.

A Coastguard helicopter and coastal rescue teams launched the hunt for the man near the Aberdeenshire village of Marykirk after the alarm was raised around 3am on Friday.

Lighthouse damaged by Storm Babet

Friday 20 October 2023 13:30 , Athena Stavrou

A lighthouse at the mouth of the River Tyne has been damaged in Storm Babet, port officials said.

With the ongoing dangerous sea conditions, it was not safe to assess the damage to the lighthouse at South Shields, the Port of Tyne authority said.

No traffic was going in and out of the river with 6m of sea swell, it said.

The public have been urged to keep away from the area, particularly the piers, by the port authority, due to the unsafe weather conditions.

Roads closed due to flooding

Friday 20 October 2023 13:15 , Athena Stavrou

Storm Babet has forced the closure of several roads across the UK.

National Highways said the A46 in Leicestershire is closed in both directions between the A606 near Widmerpool and A6006 near Sixhills due to flooding.

Floodwater has also forced the closure of the A52 in Derbyshire eastbound from the B6003 near Bardhills to the A6007 near Bramcote.

In Scotland, several sections of major Scottish roads are closed due to flooding.

Traffic Scotland said these include:

- The A92 closed at Parbroath Crossroads, Fife.

- The A90 closed to northbound traffic at Struan Roundabout, Dundee.

- The A90 closed to southbound traffic at Stonehaven Junction, Aberdeenshire.

- The A90 closed between Myrekirk and Swallow Roundabouts, Dundee.

- The A85 closed at Huntingtower, near Perth.

Drivers have also been advised to take care when crossing several bridges, including the A898 Erskine Bridge, West Dunbartonshire; the M90 Queensferry Crossing between Edinburgh and Fife; and the A87 Skye Bridge.

Storm Babet causes travel chaos as train services cancelled

Friday 20 October 2023 12:53 , Athena Stavrou

Train services have been cancelled and suspended on major lines across the UK on Friday.

National Rail Enquiries said flooding has blocked all lines running through Swindon and no trains are running between Derby and Sheffield or Nottingham.

Other routes blocked include between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley; between Shrewsbury and Hereford/Wolverhampton; between Hereford and Birmingham New Street.

There are also no services between Chester and Crewe; between Wrexham Central and Bidston; and between Chester and Hooton.

Major disruption has also been seen across Scotland. ScotRail said train services remain suspended on several routes in north and north-east Scotland.

No trains are running between Aberdeen and Elgin; Edinburgh and Aberdeen via Fife; Perth and Aberdeen via Dundee; Dunblane and Perth; Perth and Aviemore; and Tain and Wick/Thurso.

All Fife Circle services are also suspended, impacting services between Glasgow Queen Street and Aberdeen/Inverness; and Edinburgh Waverley and Aberdeen/Inverness.

Woman forced to evacuate home an hour after she moves in

Friday 20 October 2023 12:43 , Athena Stavrou

A woman has told how she was evacuated from her home due to the risk of flooding from Storm Babet, just over an hour after she had moved in.

Residents of 335 homes in Brechin, Scotland, were asked to leave for “their own safety” during Storm Babet on Thursday, which is battering parts of the UK.

Terri Masson, 33, had only moved into her new home in Meikle Mill in Brechin on Thursday when she was told by the council she would have to leave at 4.30pm.

While her home has not been hit by the flooding, it is one of hundreds which are in the evacuation zone. The mother-of-five asked friends from Montrose to come and collect her from the town.

“I moved in yesterday and was in not even two hours and got told to evacuate,” she told the PA news agency.

“I hadn’t even unpacked my stuff, nothing. I had just started to unpack and they came to the door and they were like ‘you have to go’. We left about quarter past five.

“I knew Brechin could flood when the weather is bad, but I’ve never been in the middle of something like this. It was scary for the kids – we got out as quick as we could.”

What is fueling the ‘extraordinary’ Storm Babet?

Friday 20 October 2023 12:21 , Athena Stavrou

Severe rainfall and winds from Storm Babet have caused devastating flooding in Ireland and Scotland in the last couple of days, prompting evacuations and dramatic rescues.

The rainfall, which is expected to last till the weekend, has flooded houses, damaged roads and railways, swept away unharvested crops, and killed a 57-year-old woman and a man whose van was hit by a fallingtree in Scotland.

Experts say Babet is an “extraordinary” storm which has been fuelled by several factors, including the impact of a typhoon on jet stream and rising temperatures.

Read more:

What is fueling the ‘extraordinary’ Storm Babet?

Second person killed by Storm Babet

Friday 20 October 2023 11:54 , Athena Stavrou

A second person has died in Scotland after a falling tree hit his vehicle.

Police Scotland said they were called to a report of a one-vehicle crash in which a tree struck a van on the B9127 at Whigstreet near Forfar.

The 56-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene and the road remains closed. His next of kin have been informed.

It comes just one day after a woman’s body was recovered from a river in Angus, after the 57-year-old was swept into the Water of Lee at Glen Esk

Second red “danger to life” warning issued

Friday 20 October 2023 11:46 , Athena Stavrou

A second red weather warning for rain has been issued for tomorrow by the Met Office.

The areas affected include the Angus and Aberdeenshire areas in central and eastern Scotland and will come into place from 12am tonight until 11:59pm on Saturday night.

Another red weather warning for rain is currently in place across Angus, Dundee, Perth and Kinross and Aberdeenshire.

The Met Office has warned of a “danger to life” in these areas from fast-flowing and deep floodwater. They also warn of collapsed buildings and extensive flooding to homes and businesses.

There are currently ten yellow and red weather warnings in place across the UK for today and tomorrow.

Some areas now only accessible by boat

Friday 20 October 2023 11:10 , Athena Stavrou

Angus Council said parts of the county were now only accessible by boat after flooding from Storm Babet.

“Over 350 homes across Angus were contacted yesterday and advised to evacuate,” a spokesman said.

“Brechin, and increasingly other parts of Angus, are now only accessible via boat. Rescue crews are now dealing with over 100 calls from areas which were asked to evacuate yesterday evening.

“Emergency rest centres in Brechin, Montrose and Forfar are open to all those in need in Angus, pets are welcome too.

The council also appealed for warm clothing, adding: “If anyone lives near the Brechin Community Campus that is able to get to the rest centre without putting themselves at risk, we are looking for donations of all types of warm clothing for adults.

“We now have in excess of 40 adults who have arrived at the rest centre with only the soaked clothes they have arrived in.”

Some people may not be back in homes by Christmas

Friday 20 October 2023 10:50 , Athena Stavrou

Some people affected by the floods in Brechin, Angus, may not be back in their homes by Christmas, one local councillor has warned as he said waters in the Scottish town are still rising.

Residents of 335 homes in Brechin, Scotland, were asked to leave for “their own safety” during Storm Babet on Thursday, which is battering parts of the UK.

Gavin Nicol said the town’s flood barriers are 3.8m high but the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has warned the water could reach 5m.

He said: “With the amount of rain we’re getting it might even supersede that. It’s just a disaster. The water is not going down, it is still rising.”

Mr Nicol, Conservative representative for the Brechin and Edzell Ward on Angus Council, said high tide at around 5pm on Friday could pose a particular problem.

He said: “My thoughts go out to those affected. With this time of year, it’s coming up to Christmas, and some people might not even get back in their homes by then.”

Police search for man trapped in vehicle in floodwater

Friday 20 October 2023 10:35 , Athena Stavrou

A major search has been launched for a man trapped in a vehicle in floodwater near Maykirk in Aberdeenshire this morning.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said they had received a report of a man within a vehicle trapped in floodwater at 3am on Friday.

They added that multi-agency searches are ongoing and asked the public to avoid the area “for their safety”.

Latest pictures as Storm Babet batters the UK on Friday morning

Friday 20 October 2023 09:55 , Athena Stavrou

Video captures huge waves crashing against sea wall

Friday 20 October 2023 09:34 , Athena Stavrou

Dramatic footage has been shared to social media, showing huge waves crashing against a sea wall.

The clip is thought to have been taken on Friday morning in Bridlington, East Yorkshire.

People ‘stuck for hours’ amid flooding chaos

Friday 20 October 2023 09:17 , Athena Stavrou

Residents of 335 homes in Brechin, Scotland, were asked to leave for “their own safety” during Storm Babet, which is battering parts of the UK.

Flood defences in the town were breached overnight, and social media footage shows water pouring onto a street.

Brechin and Edzell councillor, Jill Scott, said: “It’s horrific. It’s just absolutely horrendous. I’ve never seen anything like it. People are trapped in closes, not even in River Street but round the back at Nursery Park. Some have been stuck there for hours.

“The boats are trying to get to them. They can’t get to them because the current is too strong. There will be hundreds of houses flooded.

“It unbelievable. It’s devastating. I don’t know what the council’s going to do to be honest – how many people they are going to have to rehome. People will have lost everything.”

Ireland propose to offer up to 20,000 euro for those affected by flooding

Friday 20 October 2023 09:12 , Athena Stavrou

Ireland’s Minister for Finance Michael McGrath has said a proposal is being worked on to increase the level of support that will be offered to those affected by flooding in Co Cork.

He said money will be available via the Emergency Humanitarian Aid Scheme administered by the Red Cross to people and businesses affected by flooding “from next week”.

This currently offers an initial 5,000 euro and further support up to 20,000 euro based on the scale of damage.

“The assessment of the full scale of the damage to homes and businesses will take some time, but the support will be there and that is the overarching message,” Mr McGrath told RTE Radio on Friday.

Mr McGrath said a proposal was being worked on by Minister for Enterprise Simon Coveney to offer “an increased level of support”, and would go to Cabinet next week.

Co Cork was hit by extreme flooding due to Storm Babet on Wednesday. Mr McGrath and Mr Coveney visited areas affected by the flooding in their home county of Cork on Thursday.

Train services suspended

Friday 20 October 2023 08:49 , Athena Stavrou

ScotRail said train services remain suspended on several routes in north and north-east Scotland.

They are suspended between Aberdeen and Elgin; Edinburgh and Aberdeen via Fife; Perth and Aberdeen via Dundee; Dunblane and Perth; Perth and Aviemore; and Tain and Wick/Thurso.

All Fife Circle services are also suspended, impacting services between Glasgow Queen Street and Aberdeen/Inverness; and Edinburgh Waverley and Aberdeen/Inverness.

Angus county experiencing a “very serious emergency” due to flooding

Friday 20 October 2023 08:42 , Athena Stavrou

The county of Angus is experiencing a “very serious emergency” with flooding due to Storm Babet in Brechin.

Flood defences in the town were breached overnight, and social media footage shows water pouring onto a street.

On Thursday, hundreds had been told to evacuate their homes.

Angus Council posted on social media saying: ““It has been a very challenging night, Brechin defences were breached around 04:00 this morning and the river levels are around 4.4m above normal levels.

“This is completely unprecedented and at these heights, gauges have become unreliable.

“We completely understand that it is very hard to leave your home but parts of Brechin, and increasingly other parts of Angus, are now only accessible via boat.

“Rescue crews are now dealing with around 100 calls from areas which were asked to evacuate yesterday evening.”

The council urged anyone at risk of flooding to evacuate as soon as possible and three rest centres have been set up nearby for those who need to leave.

Major roads closed

Friday 20 October 2023 08:22 , Athena Stavrou

Several sections of major Scottish roads are closed due to Storm Babet.

Two sections of the A90 have been closed between Myrekirk and Swallow Roundabouts, Dundee and Ellon and Bogbrae, Aberdeenshire due to flooding and a fallen tree.

The A7 in both directions has also been closed at Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway due to a fallen tree.

The A85 at Hunting tower near Perth has been closed due to flooding along with the A9 Jubilee Bridge near Dunkeld, Perthshire due to adverse “weather conditions”.

National Highways said the A15 Humber Bridge between North Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire is closed in both directions to “high-sided and vulnerable vehicles” due to strong winds.

Diversion routes have been created.

Roads flooded as Storm Babet batters Scotland

Friday 20 October 2023 07:57 , Athena Stavrou

Videos shared to social media show extreme flooding in Dundee, Scotland.

The footage shows an entire street flooded - with cars submerged up to their headlights in the water.

A rare red “danger to life” weather warning for rain was extended into Dundee on Thursday and is expected to be in place until noon today.

164mm of rainfall in some places

Friday 20 October 2023 07:32 , Athena Stavrou

Some areas have seen up to 164mm of rainfall from Storm Babet since midnight on Thursday.

The area hit by the most rain is Waterside Perth in central Scotland, followed by Invermark towards the east of Scotland, according to the Met Office.

Scotland usually sees average rainfall of 176mm across the entire month of October.

Weather forecast for Thursday as Storm Babet continues to batter the UK

Friday 20 October 2023 07:10 , Stuti Mishra

Heavy rains have continued this morning in large parts of Scotland and northern UK brought by Storm Babet.

The clouds are spreading across the eastern parts as well as several yellow weather warnings remain in the place covering large parts of the country.

Some brighter spells are, however, possible across southern counties of England and northwest Scotland, the forecaster says, but heavy showers will dominate most of the day, continuing through the evening and overnight.

Scotland could see water levels rising by 5 metres

Friday 20 October 2023 06:43 , Stuti Mishra

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has said that river levels could reach an "unprecedented" five metres above normal levels as heavy rainfall from Storm Babet continues.

Severe flood warnings were expanded for the River Esk, including into Aberdeenshire. Sepa added the villages of Logie Mill and Craigo to places at risk of severe flooding in Angus, as well as Brechin and nearby Finavon and Tannadice, while the village of Marykirk, Aberdeenshire, was put on high alert.

Red alert for parts of Scotland continues to be in place

Friday 20 October 2023 06:15 , Stuti Mishra

The rare red alert in Scotland for wind and rain covers an area from southern Aberdeenshire and Angus to the outskirts of Dundee and Perth. The warning continues to be in place till noon today.

What should you expect under a red warning?

• Danger to life from fast flowing or deep floodwater

• Extensive flooding to homes and businesses

• Collapsed or damaged buildings or structures

• Road closures and bus and train service delays and cancellations

• Dangerous driving conditions because of spray and flooded roads

• Loss of power and other essential services, such as gas, water and mobile phone service

• Communities completely cut off, perhaps for several days.

Dozens in rescue centres in Angus

Friday 20 October 2023 22:13 , Katy Clifton

More than 75 people were in rescue centres in Angus, east Scotland, on Friday night while Angus Council said people in more than 60 homes in Brechin, who refused previous evacuation attempts, required rescue.

Jacqui Semple, head of risk, resilience and safety for Angus Council, said: “People are devastated. This is awful.

“It would be awful. Your house flooded, your belongings, the impact emotionally and physically and everything that goes with that.

“They’ve got all of those people who have been affected arriving at our rest centres in such a state – wet, cold, and just so unbelievably upset.”

Yellow warning for southeast England

Friday 20 October 2023 05:34 , Stuti Mishra

A yellow weather warning for rain came into effect across southeastern parts of England at 10pm yesterday as heavy showers began spreading down south.

The warning continues to remain in place until 9am today.

More than 11cm of rain has fallen in some places in Scotland

Friday 20 October 2023 05:05 , Stuti Mishra

The Met Office has posted the highest rainfall totals for Thursday, with some areas seeing more than 10cm of rain.

Waterside Perth saw 11.2cm of rain while further north Invermark had a 10.7cm deluge.

Police recovers body of woman swept away in Scotland

Friday 20 October 2023 04:45 , Stuti Mishra

Police have recovered the body of the woman from a river in Angus after heavy rains and winds swept her away amid red weather alert in force.

The identity of the woman was not revealed but the police said she was 57 years old.

“Around 1.45pm on Thursday October 19, officers attended a report of a person having been swept into the Water of Lee, Glen Esk.

“Around 4pm, the body of a 57-year-old woman was recovered from the river."

“There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”

Woman dies in Storm Babet with hundreds of homes evacuated

Friday 20 October 2023 04:22 , Stuti Mishra

A woman has died after flooding caused by Storm Babet saw hundreds of homes evacuated, while thousands were hit by power cuts across Scotland.

First Minister Humza Yousaf led tributes to the 57-year-old woman who was swept away at the Water of Lee, Glen Esk, just before 2pm on Thursday.

Efforts were made to convince residents of Brechin, Angus, to evacuate 400 homes, with the coastguard and fire crews going door-to-door after some people refused to leave.

Read more:

Woman dies in Storm Babet with hundreds of homes evacuated

Inside the Scottish town evacuated as Storm Babet threatens record rainfall

Friday 20 October 2023 02:00 , Holly Evans

Hundreds of Scots have been told to evacuate their homes amid warnings Storm Babet could pose a “danger to life”.

Residents of 335 homes in Brechin, Scotland, were asked to leave for “their own safety” during Storm Babet, which is battering parts of the UK on Thursday.

The storm, which hit Ireland after sweeping in from the Atlantic, is expected to bring 70mph gusts and over a month’s worth of rain to some regions of the UK.

Read more here

Inside the Scottish town evacuated as Storm Babet threatens record rainfall

Storm Babet in pictures as town evacuated and roads collapse during red warning downpours

Friday 20 October 2023 01:00 , Holly Evans

Storm Babet is wreaking havoc in the north of the UK, with hundreds of homes flooded or evacuated and two more days of torrential rain to come.

Red, amber and yellow weather warnings are in place for large parts of the country with heavy downpours set to move south on Friday and into the weekend.

The Irish army has been deployed in parts of Cork, Ireland, while the extreme weather could bring up to 220mm of rain in some areas of eastern Scotland, close to the highest ever recorded in a 24-hour period.

Read more here

Storm Babet in pictures as town evacuated and roads collapse in torrential downpours

‘Major clean-up operation’ expected over the weekend

Friday 20 October 2023 00:00 , Holly Evans

Deputy First Minister Shona Robison has warned that the worst impacts of Storm Babet are yet to come and the government expects to lauch a “major clean-up operation” over the weekend.

The Scottish government’s resilience room met this evening - before the worst of the storm is expected to hit.

Ms Robson said weather conditions are set to “deteriorate seriously overnight” and the government was co-ordinating a national effort to ensure that people are safe.

People in red warning areas are urged not to travel unless they are advised to relocate to a rest centre.

She said: “We are working with partners across the country, including emergency services, the voluntary sector and energy companies, to make sure that we mitigate disruption as much as possible.

“However, we are clear that there will be considerable disruption and we expect to launch a major clean-up operation as we move into the weekend.”

Flood warning expanded into Aberdeenshire

Thursday 19 October 2023 23:00 , Holly Evans

Severe flood warnings were expanded for the River Esk in Scotland, including into Aberdeenshire.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) added the villages of Logie Mill and Craigo to places at risk of flooding in Angus, as well as Brechin and nearby Finavon and Tannadice.

The village of Marykirk, Aberdeenshire, was put on high alert.

Disruption to electricity and power expected to continue overnight

Thursday 19 October 2023 22:30 , Holly Evans

Andy Smith, operations director at Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks distribution, said: “Storm Babet has tracked as expected so far, with wind gusts in excess of 70mph across the north-east and Angus, and we anticipate further network impact overnight and into tomorrow.

“Our teams have made significant progress across today and we have 10 times our usual operational capacity to respond to any issues as they occur.

“We apologise to all those affected by any power outages, and I want to reassure our customers we’re doing everything we can to restore power as quickly as possible.

“We encourage anyone who may need additional support to contact our dedicated teams on the 24-hour power cut helpline on 105.”

20,000 homes in Scotland lost power in Storm Babet

Thursday 19 October 2023 22:00 , Holly Evans

More than 20,000 homes in Scotland lost power due to Storm Babet, according to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN).

The energy provider said as of 8.45pm it had restored services to almost 18,500 homes and is working to reconnect 3,300 more properties which have been cut off.

Aberdeenshire and Angus are the main areas affected by power cuts.

SSEN has extra staff and equipment in place, including mobile generators.

Reconnection work will continue on Thursday night “for as long as it is safe to do so” before resuming first thing on Friday.

Four flood warnings issued for northern England and the Midlands

Thursday 19 October 2023 21:58 , Holly Evans

Four flood warnings have been issued for parts of northern England and the Midlands, with Storm Babet set to sweep southwards on Friday.

Warnings that flooding is expected have been issued by the Environment Agency’s Floodline service in Sandsend, North Yorkshire; Bridlington, East Yorkshire; the Tyne estuary and in areas surrounding the River Maun in Nottinghamshire.

The agency also has 79 flood alerts, warnings that flooding is possible, in effect across the rest of England.

Angus Council warns of ‘serious risk to life’ due to excessive flooding

Thursday 19 October 2023 21:40 , Holly Evans

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has issued a warning river levels could reach an “unprecedented” 5m about normal levels during Storm Babet.

It said: “The Brechin flood defences are designed to deal with river levels of 3.8m.”

Angus Council wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday night: “There is a serious risk to life from excessive flooding. We are currently revisiting all properties identified as at risk to evacuate remaining residents who were reluctant to leave earlier.”

First tributes appear for woman killed in Storm Babet

Thursday 19 October 2023 21:18 , Holly Evans

Tributes have been paid to the first victim of Storm Babet.

After a 57-year-old woman died after being swept into a river in Angus, Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Such sad news. My thoughts are with the family, friends and loved ones of the woman who has sadly lost her life.”

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross wrote: “Dreadful news from Angus this evening.

“My thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of the lady who has sadly lost her life.”

Fire crews begin evacuating residents from Scottish town

Thursday 19 October 2023 21:03 , Holly Evans

Fire crews and the coastguard have begun evacuating residents from a town affected by Storm Babet.

Two fire engines and multiple coastguard vehicles are currently in River Street, Brechin, as crews from both services knock on residents’ doors advising them to leave the area.

Some people can be seen leaving the area. Earlier on Thursday, two residents living on the street told the PA news agency that they had no intention of leaving their homes despite the severe weather warning.

‘Worst impacts are yet to come,’ says deputy first minister

Thursday 19 October 2023 20:31 , Holly Evans

Following a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) on Thursday evening, Deputy First Minister Shona Robison said: “Storm Babet is still in its early stages and the worst impacts are yet to come.

“Protecting the public is our immediate priority and we are co-ordinating a national effort to ensure that people are safe.

“The red warning has been expanded to cover further parts of Scotland and we expect weather conditions to deteriorate seriously overnight. Our message is clear – if you live in the areas covered by the red warning, please stay at home and do not travel, unless advised to relocate to a rest centre.”

Woman’s body recovered from Angus river

Thursday 19 October 2023 20:18 , Holly Evans

Police have confirmed the body of a 57-year-old woman has been recovered from a river in Angus, where a rare red weather warning is in place.

Officers were called to the Water of Lee at Glen Esk at about 1:45pm and the body was found at 4pm.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 1.45pm on Thursday October 19, officers attended a report of a person having been swept into the Water of Lee, Glen Esk.

“Around 4pm, the body of a 57-year-old woman was recovered from the river.

“There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”

Local says river bursting was ‘scary’ as fears of flooding grow

Thursday 19 October 2023 20:10 , Holly Evans

Video footage filmed in Angus Glen showed a river bursting over a bridge.

Estate manager Dee Ward, 58, said the river near Killiemuir, Angus, was “scary” and he wanted to raise awareness of climate change.

Mr Ward said: “It is quite scary, we get these seasons now where we get really bad storms blowing in from the Atlantic.

“What I’m noticing is the rainfall is much heavier, we had heavy rain from about 8am.

“It’s just accumulated, the river rises very quickly.”

Households affected by Storm Babet urged to tell insurers as soon as possible

Thursday 19 October 2023 19:50 , Holly Evans

Households and businesses affected by Storm Babet are being urged to contact their insurer for help and advice.

Insurers’ first priority when helping customers affected by Storm Babet will be to make sure they recover as quickly as possible, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

The storm was expected to bring over one month’s worth of rain in the worst affected regions of the UK on Thursday.

Read more here

Households affected by Storm Babet urged to tell insurers as soon as possible

In Pictures: Communities cut off as Storm Babet brings ‘unprecedented’ rain

Thursday 19 October 2023 19:30 , Holly Evans

Some residents have been asked to evacuate their homes as Storm Babet swept across the UK and Ireland on Thursday.

The Met Office issued a rare red weather warning for parts of Scotland and said some communities could be cut off for several days by severe flooding.

Read more here

In Pictures: Communities cut off as Storm Babet brings ‘unprecedented’ rain

Waves around 20ft high crash into town in Aberdeenshire

Thursday 19 October 2023 19:10 , Holly Evans

Pictures have shown massive waves crashing at Stonehaven Harbour in Aberdeenshire, at around around 5pm on Thursday.

David Jacobs, 56, said he saw waves around 20ft high on the coast of the town, which is covered by a red weather warning.

Mr Jacobs, director of Stonehaven Paddleboarding, said he expects the weather to be worse on Friday, adding: “The waves were about 20ft, or seven metres.

“The wind is swinging east tomorrow so it will be coming directly into the harbour.

“The last time I have seen weather like this was 2014. It is quite spectacular to watch but bits of trees and rocks land onto the road.”

Storm Babet could hit more parts of Scotland in coming days

Thursday 19 October 2023 18:46 , Holly Evans

The Deputy First Minister warned that Storm Babet could hit more parts of Scotland in the coming days.

Shona Robison said: “We are only at the start of this weather event – that’s really important for people to appreciate.

“There is the risk, danger, and possibility of more areas being affected so we will make sure that any changes are communicated as quickly as possible.”

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