A summary of today's developments
Flooding from major rivers could continue until Tuesday, the Environment Agency (EA) has warned. Katharine Smith, EA flood duty manager, said: “Ongoing flooding is probable on some larger rivers including the Severn, Ouse and Trent through to Tuesday.”
The Met Office has lifted the red weather warning that was in place in parts of Scotland but warned that conditions remain treacherous. Amber and yellow warnings are still in force throughout the coming hours with some impacts possible.
King’s Cross train station in London has been forced to close due to overcrowding on the platforms, brought on on by storm-induced delays and cancellations. Network Rail said crowd control measures were due to the disruption to LNER services.
The Environment Agency issued more than 280 flood warnings and three severe flood warnings are now in place in across England. The most severe of these is in Derbyshire, where the agency says there is a risk to life.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) says it restored power to 36,000 of its customers by 4.45pm on Saturday following a “day of progress”. It is now making a “final push” and working to “reconnect the remaining 700 properties by the end of tonight”.
Some residents in the Aberdeen suburb of Peterculter have now been advised to leave their homes as a precaution in case of flooding, the BBC reported.
Properties in Millbank Terrace, Millside Road and the Culter Den area are affected.
Aberdeen City Council said a rest centre is available at Culter Village Hall.
The Scottish government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) met this evening to discuss the impact of Storm Babet.
A retired man with Parkinson’s disease said he felt safer on holiday in Jordan than dealing with the “dangerous” situation which awaited him as he got a train home from King’s Cross station in London.
John Hinson, 61, who lives in North Ferriby, East Yorkshire, arrived in London on Friday after a two-week holiday to Jordan.
He said people were “crashing against the barrier” as they flocked for trains at King’s Cross and his assistance was cancelled before he boarded a Hull Trains service to Brough on Saturday morning.
“It was just so dangerous,” he told the PA news agency.
“I have Parkinson’s and I have difficulty walking, so my wife (Joanna, 61) went to ask for assistance and all assistance was cancelled.
“We were basically told that if we cannot get the train, we need to cancel and come back again.”
He said the assistance would have been a wheelchair to the train, but as this was not arranged for him, he “just made” the train, “shuffling” behind his wife who had to drag two large suitcases.
“I took my medication early to ensure I had enough dopamine in my system to cope.
“There did not seem to be any police about or any management,” he added.
A spokesperson from Network Rail said: “While many of the country’s rail services are running well today, we’re sorry to say that there is still severe disruption in areas worst-hit by Storm Babet, including Scotland, the North East and East Midlands.
“In particular, King’s Cross station has crowd-control measures in place this afternoon while LNER services to the North East are severely disrupted.
“We are asking people to check before they travel today, to avoid wasted journeys.”
October is the wettest month on record for any month, beating November 1970 (156.2mm), according to the Met Office’s deputy chief meteorologist.
Didn't even occur to check until @danholley_ mentioned it, it's actually the wettest month on record for any month, beating November 1970 (156.2mm). And we are only 2/3 through! https://t.co/YJQnHbo1xw
— Dan Harris (@RoostWeather) October 21, 2023
More than 300 flood warnings – where less dangerous flooding is expected – have been issued by the Environment Agency across England since Thursday, with the greatest numbers in Yorkshire and the East and West Midlands.
On Saturday afternoon, 275 warnings remained in place, while the agency said 237 flooded properties had been reported, with a further 20,000 protected by defences, the PA news agency reported.
Scotland has also been badly affected and a red weather warning – which also warns of danger to life – was issued for the second consecutive day for parts of Angus and Aberdeenshire.
The Met Office downgraded the warning on Saturday afternoon after rainfall across eastern Scotland eased.
In Wales, a severe flood warning has been issued for the village of Llandrinio, Powys, as well as isolated properties in the Severn-Vyrnwy confluence area.
Helicopters have been deployed to assist a North Sea drilling platform which lost anchors during Storm Babet.
Stena Drilling said four of the eight anchors detached themselves from Stena Spey due to the “severe weather”, the BBC reported.
All 89 personnel are accounted for on the rig, which is 146 miles east of Aberdeen.
A HM Coastguard spokesperson said it sent two of its helicopters to assist the platform.
Storm Babet has cut power from more than 33,000 customers in Scotland but the vast majority are now reconnected, energy firm Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said.
As of 4.45pm, work was ongoing to reconnect 700 properties north of the border.
It was a surreal moment, even for a poet.
David Nugent-Malone was taking his dog Jake for their usual walk through a local forest in Mugdock, Stirlingshire during Storm Babet when he saw the forest floor “weirdly” lifting up and down in the wind.
He captured the moment in a video that he posted on X, writing: “The woods were moving like the sea this morning.”
In a further post, where footage shows Jake running towards the ground as it lifts into the air and then standing on the forest floor as it rises, Nugent-Malone wrote: “The earth was breathing deeply this morning.”
Red weather warning lifted in Scotland
The Met Office has lifted the red weather warning that was in place in parts of Scotland but warned that conditions remain treacherous.
⚠️ Weather warnings updated ⚠️
— Met Office (@metoffice) October 21, 2023
Rainfall across eastern Scotland is continuing to ease with the red warning now lifted
Amber and yellow warnings are still in force throughout the coming hours with some impacts possible
For latest flood warnings please follow @ScottishEPA
Stay… pic.twitter.com/vtb9rjFZE5
Derby City Council said they are experiencing the highest recorded water levels of the River Derwent as roads were flooded across the city.
The council in the East Midlands said in a statement: “It’s been a really challenging night for our crews, and emergency services across the city, and the picture in Derby remains challenging today with floodwater still affecting a lot of roads around the city.
“A Severe Flood Warning is in place for some areas of the city. The last time this kind of warning was issued was 10 years ago and is often related to coastal flooding, which indicates that this remains a serious situation.
“Our teams have worked tirelessly overnight, but we are expecting a second peak later this afternoon, so we aren’t out of the woods yet, and there is still a lot of work to do.
“We know that the river levels are likely to remain high for a number of hours, and will then go down very slowly.”
The council added cleaning up after the floods and reopening roads and footways may take several days.
Sandbags have been placed along a breached river wall in Brechin to try to prevent another deluge after the town was hit by “devastating” flooding from Storm Babet.
River Street and nearby areas in the town were inundated with water when the adjacent River South Esk burst its banks in the early hours of Friday.
The water had receded on Saturday, but the area was still at risk of flooding amid a second red weather warning for heavy rain in Angus.
The street was left strewn with debris and covered in silt on Saturday, with many homes damaged by water in the lower floors.
Almost all residents had left after being advised to evacuate or were rescued by emergency workers.
Many were sheltering in rest centres set up in the town.
The unprecedented water levels of the river overtopped a flood defence wall installed in 2016, and an older section of the river wall was swept away.
Local haulage company FB Murray used lorries and diggers to move one-tonne sandbags along a section of the damaged wall in a bid to shore up the street.
Business owner Fred Murray said he had been “frustrated” by the lack of action and decided to go ahead with the work without the council’s permission.
He said: “We do a lot of work for oil and gas and wind farms, so we have an indication of what things are needed.”
Flood warnings for Kintore, Kemnay and Inverurie are in place with a flood alert covering the Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City area.
Flood Warnings for Kintore, Kemnay and Inverurie are in place with a Flood Alert covering the Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City are. More detail available on our live flood updates page https://t.co/Woujcrq3E3 https://t.co/4FSTm2HPAr
— SEPAFlood (@SEPAFlood) October 21, 2023
50 people are sheltering in a community hall near Catcliffe in South Yorkshire after the flood defences for the town failed, leaving part of the village “completely engulfed” by floodwater.
“We’ve been told we can’t access our homes at all,” the chair of the parish council, Pete Devaux, told the BBC.
He said six feet of water flooded his own street and he hasn’t been able to rescue anything from his house.
“At least one of my neighbours hasn’t got any insurance and she’s lost everything. She’s got to start again.”
Police are escorting people out of homes in Derby that are near the banks of the River Derwent, the BBC reports.
Matt Weigold, a BBC Radio Derby reporter who was at the scene earlier, said: “There are flats there where there were lifeboats and police escorting people out of their homes.
“Most residents are out now but they still are knocking on doors and encouraging them to leave their homes.”
However, he said it didn’t look like water had entered homes.
In Derbyshire, Belper Town FC’s Raygar Stadium is underwater.
This was the scene earlier this morning at the Raygar Stadium.
— 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 | 𝟣𝟪𝟪𝟥 (@BelperTownFC) October 21, 2023
The clubhouse has also been hit hard and we may need a few extra pairs of hands to put it right (again!)
We will post updates on here as and when we can but we need to wait for the water to subside first. pic.twitter.com/HvwxKu9nTu
This afternoon’s match against Newton Aycliffe FC has been postponed.
PA reports that in Bridge of Dun, in Angus, people 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.
Jacqui Semple, head of risk, resilience and safety for Angus Council, said people had been rescued from 80 to 100 homes across the region.
She told PA News: “Fortunately the Met Office update and our Sepa update this morning is showing that we have an improving picture.”
The red “danger to life” warning is now set to end at 6pm, instead of midnight.
“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 rest centres set up in Angus provided accommodation for some of those flooded out of their homes, with more than 50 at the one in Brechin.
Updated
The Environment Agency has warned that flooding from major rivers could continue until Tuesday.
Katharine Smith, EA flood duty manager, told PA: “Following persistent, heavy rain from Storm Babet, severe river flooding impacts are probable in parts of the East Midlands and South Yorkshire today and into Sunday.
“Severe river flooding impacts are occurring on the River Derwent in Derby, where we have issued severe flood warnings, and significant impacts are also possible elsewhere across the Midlands and parts of northern England today.
“Ongoing flooding is probable on some larger rivers including the Severn, Ouse and Trent through to Tuesday.”
More than 300 flood warnings – where less dangerous flooding is expected – have been issued by the EA across England since Thursday, with the greatest numbers in Yorkshire and the East and West Midlands.
In addition to the LNER cancellations, a number of other rail services are affected by the storm.
Northern Rail said all lines between Cheadle Hulme in Greater Manchester and Wilmslow, Cheshire, are blocked due to damage to overhead electric wires.
Services are also not running from Sheffield to Nottingham or Lincoln due to flooding.
Trains are also unable to travel between Leeds and Doncaster, Harrogate and Bradford.
The line between Newcastle and Morpeth is also closed due to viaduct damage, Northern Rail added.
Avanti West Coast said its services are severely disrupted and has asked customers to not travel between Crewe and North Wales and that people should only travel between Preston and Glasgow or Edinburgh if absolutely necessary.
London's King's Cross train station closes
King’s Cross train station in London has been forced to close due to overcrowding on the platforms, brought on on by storm-induced delays and cancellations.
Network Rail said crowd control measures were due to the disruption to LNER services.
A spokesperson said:
While many of the country’s rail services are running well today, we’re sorry to say that there is still severe disruption in areas worst hit by Storm Babet, including Scotland, the North East and East Midlands.
In particular, King’s Cross station has crowd control measures in place this afternoon while LNER services to the North East are severely disrupted. We are asking people to check before they travel today, to avoid wasted journeys.
— London King's Cross (@NetworkRailKGX) October 21, 2023
Updated
In Stirlingshire, Scotland, a dog walker captured mesmerising footage showing powerful winds from Storm Babet lifting the forest floor.
David Nugent-Malone was walking his dog, as a seem in the ground begun caught in Babate’s winds caused floor of the forest to sway up and down. Here is the clip:
Updated
BBC Radio 5 Live has a report from Marie Breitstrecher, the manager of the Wheatsheaf inn in Baslow, near Chatsworth house in Derbyshire.
After the River Derwent broke its banks nearby, she and her team helped their neighbours to safety.
“The elderly couple next to us have a bungalow literally next to the river. Their whole bungalow is underwater and they stayed as long as possible,” she told the radio station.
“It went from 0 to 100 within 15 minutes. We were like, ‘you need to leave, now’”.
She said that the waters have since started to recede but there was still debris on the roads and large holes in the roads.
“There’s no power on the opposite side of the road, so we’re just waiting for a bit of sunlight so we can go and assist.” she added.
“It was a community effort.”
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has warned that today’s rain will “prolong” the impact of the existing flooding in place in Scotland and cause additional disruptions.
Ten flood alerts are in place over Scotland. There are also 18 flood warnings and five severe flood warnings.
Flood duty manager Vincent Fitzsimmons told the BBC: “We’ve still got extremely high flows on the larger rivers round Dundee, Angus, Tayside and South Aberdeenshire - particular the North Esk, South Esk, Dee and Don.
“In addition, some of the heaviest and most prolonged rain today will be in Caithness and Sutherland.”
He stressed the situation is dangerous: “Hazards can be hidden, so please don’t walk or drive into flood water.”
Flooding will close the Museum of Making in Derby, which sits on the banks of the River Derwent, for “a significant amount of time”.
Operations manager Alex Rock told the BBC: “It is devastating … it is quite shocking to come and see this.
“We have a lot of members of staff waking up this morning who have put blood, sweat and tears into this building.
“To see it in the state it is in at the moment is really hard for them.”
He added they did what they could to protect the museum.
“The building historically is a water mill – it is expected to flood. All of our collections are relatively safe,” he said.
“There is going to be quite a lot of damage to the ground floor. It is the business interruption for us.
“This is huge – we are going to be closed for quite a significant amount of time. It is very difficult for us to take at the moment.
“I’m holding the keys in my pocket but I can’t get in to the building – it’s not safe.”
Searches continue for a man missing in Marykirk, Aberdeenshire who was reported trapped in a vehicle in flood water nearly 36 hours ago.
Police Scotland received reports of the missing man at 3am on Friday.
In an update on Saturday , Angus Council warned Brechin, and increasingly other parts of Angus, “are now only accessible via boat”.
Members of the emergency services help to move a woman and a dog on a boat in Brechin. Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA
Forecasters have brought forward the end of the red danger to life weather warning in Scotland by six hours, but authorities remain braced for further flooding on Saturday afternoon.
The alert for extreme rain during Storm Babet now ends at 6pm, rather than midnight, and covers a smaller area than previously – solely Angus and Aberdeenshire.
Train operators around the UK have advised customers not to travel today due to all the disruption that has been caused by the storm.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER), Avanti West Coast and Northern Rail have all warned against travelling as lines are widely flooded.
Northern Rail said all lines between Cheadle Hulme and Wilmslow are blocked due to damage to the overhead electric wires, services are not running from Sheffield to Notingham or Lincoln, the line between Newcastle and Morpeth is closed because of viaduct damage and trains are also unable to travel between Leeds and Doncaster, Harrogate and Bradford.
Speed restictions are in place in Scotland, and there are no LNER services north of Edinburgh and an extemely limited service in place between Doncaster and Wakefield.
Rail replacement bus services may not be available because of road closures.
Flood wardens in Leicestershire have carried out “several rescues” during the storm, which has closed many roads in the area, including Mountsorrel Lane in Sileby, Narrow Lane in Wymeswold and Syston Road in Cossington.
“Please never attempt to drive through flood water,” a spokesperson for Sileby Volunteer Flood Wardens told the BBC.
About 400 houses in Chesterfield in Derbyshire had been flooded and many people “have no idea where they’re going to be living”, according to the Labour MP Toby Perkins.
He told the BBC: “About 400 houses have been flooded, many of the businesses here have lost all their stock and will be closed.”
He added: “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.
“Lots of them have lost all of their property, all their downstairs property and they’ll be turning up at the council’s door today saying ‘I need rehousing’.”
Updated
A Scottish woman who had to be rescued from her home in Brechin, Scotland, has spoken to the BBC about her decision to stay put yesterday despite the red weather warning and risk of floods.
She said she had decided to stay in her home because it did not look like the flood prevention would be breached.
Ms Thomson admitted: “I’m just horrified that I’ve been wrong. I fell asleep and we weren’t keeping an eye on it.”
At 06:00 on Friday, the 78-year-old heard water coming into the garage next to her house and decided to evacuate.
She and her husband packed a bag and tried to drive to safety through the rising flood water but their car got stuck.
Ms Thomson added: “We thought for a horrible moment we were going to get trapped in it because we could not get the doors open.
“It was quite terrifying. The car was full of water and it was freezing.”
Ms Thomson, who has lived in the house for 28 years, eventually managed to get the car to safety.
Laura Demontis and her family also opted to stay in Brechin but were left stranded in the first floor of their home, which was flooded downstairs.
They had no electricity and were awaiting rescue.
She told BBC Scotland News: “I woke up at 04:30 in the morning because there was a sound.
“I looked outside and said ‘Oh my. It has happened’. I made the wrong decision.”
The Met Office has said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that the highest rainfall total on Friday was 84mm in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
Some areas of the county experienced flooding and electricity blackouts and flood defence barriers were brought in at Meadowhall Shopping Centre, the Yorkshire Examiner reports.
Leeds Bradford Airport has reopened after heavy winds forced a passenger plane to skid off a runway on Friday, although the airport had said it was planning to reopen from 2pm.
Updated
In North Wales, a sheepdog named Patsy rescued three ewes which had been cut off by floodwater on Friday afternoon.
Farmer Llyr Derwydd, 44, went to check on his sheep in Flintshire when he saw the sheep “stranded on this little spot on the field”.
He told a PA reporter the spot was getting “smaller and smaller”.
So we thought we’d better get them off and make sure they’re safe.
I just thought, ‘I’ll see if the dog will go’. I gave her the command and she swam across.
I knew she was quite a good swimmer otherwise I wouldn’t have done that, but I was quite surprised that she didn’t have any issues, she just went.
[It] saved me getting wet and getting into a dangerous situation and saved the sheep so it was perfect.”
After the dog escorted the sheep to dry land the farmer gave her “a pat on the head”, some praise” and a dog biscuit.
Users on social media have called for her to be given a steak as a reward.
Updated
A severe flood warning – meaning a danger to life – has been issued for villages and properties in Powys as Storm Babet continues.
The village of Llandrinio, as well as isolated properties in the Severn-Vyrnwy confluence area including Hendre Lane, Haughton and Haimwood, are in danger from “local flood defences” in the River Severn “overtopping”, according to Natural Resources Wales.
Roads in the area could also be affected by flooding and people are being urged to avoid travelling where possible.
“Do not drive or walk through flood waters,” the Welsh government body said.
Powys County Council urged people to “stay in a safe place with a means of escape”, to be ready to leave their homes, co-operate with emergency services and call 999 if in immediate danger.
There are eight other flood warnings and 14 flood alerts across Wales, PA reports.
Transport for Wales advised customers to check before travelling on the Wales and Borders network due to disruption from Storm Babet.
It said: “The storm caused extensive damage to rail infrastructure, particularly on routes north of Shrewsbury. Disruption is expected to continue all weekend.”
Updated
England footballer Trent Alexander-Arnold was involved in a minor car crash after a pylon was blown over in strong winds, The Sun reports.
The Liverpool defender’s Range Rover collided with a car after the pylon fell into a country lane near Knutsford, Cheshire, on Friday morning.
Cheshire police said no one was hurt in the incident, which came ahead of Saturday’s Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton.
Alexander-Arnold, 25, hit the brakes before colliding with a white BMW X5 and was seen getting out and speaking to the other driver, The Sun reported under the headline: “England star Trent Alexander-Arnold cheats death in horror car crash caused by killer Storm Babet”.
His agent was contacted by the PA news agency, but declined to comment on the story.
On Friday a Cheshire police spokesperson said: “At 10.34am this morning, we were called to reports of a road traffic collision involving a black Range Rover and a BMW.
“An electricity pole had fallen into the road, causing the accident.
“Nobody was injured and everything was cleared by 1.05pm.
“We called the energy company and had the electricity turned off.”
Met Office weather warnings are in place across the country:
A rare red “danger to life” weather warning is in place in eastern Scotland. It covers parts of the A90 from Dundee to Aberdeen and includes Laurencekirk, Montrose, Brechin, Forfar and Kirriemuir. There is extensive flooding in the area and dangerous, fast flowing or deep floodwater. Driving conditions are dangerous and residents should expect loss of power and essential services such as gas, water and mobile phone service.
An amber rain warning also covers eastern Scotland, stretching almost from Perth to the north-east coast and including parts of Aberdeen. Expect dangerous driving conditions on the A90, A96 and B9077 to Banchory, as well as road closures and transport delays and cancellations. Extensive flooding is possible and dangerous flooding is likely. There is a chance communities in flooded areas could be cut off for days and power cuts and cuts to essential services and mobile phone services are also possible.
An amber rain warning also covers the north-east tip of Scotland, stretching from just north of Inverness almost all the way to Thurso and Wick.
A yellow rain warning covers a vast area of eastern Scotland, stretching from Stirling to the north east coast. Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen are all affected. The Met Office warns floods may occur and this could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures. There is a small chance of floods to homes and businesses, power cuts and fast-flowing or deep floodwater.
View the Met Office map showing the weather warnings on metoffice.gov.uk.
More than 300 flood warnings issued for England
The Environment Agency says there are now 300 flood warnings in place in England.
The most severe of these is in Derbyshire, where the agency says there is a risk to life.
Due to heavy rain caused by #StormBabet, there are now over 300 flood warnings in place in England.
— Environment Agency (@EnvAgency) October 21, 2023
Do you know what to do in a #flood?
Sign up for flood warnings: https://t.co/3rErbvdDn2 #PrepareActSurvive pic.twitter.com/sJI2ONSqvm
Updated
Do not travel on LNER today, railway says
The LNER has just released a statement asking customers not to travel today.
It said:
Severe weather is causing major disruption to services across the LNER route. Many rail routes are suspended due to flooding and an extremely limited service is in operation. Please do not travel today, Saturday 21 October.
There are no LNER services operating north of Edinburgh towards Aberdeen or Inverness in either direction.
The line between Doncaster and Leeds is blocked due to flooding.
Following extensive disruption on Friday 20 October, crews and trains are displaced across the country and services today are subjec to short-notice cancellation.
Due to road closures, rail replacement is not available. Other train operators are also subject to disruption and alternative routes are also blocked.
Here’s the latest from the Met Office:
⚠️ Heavy rain across northeastern Scotland will slowly move northwards this afternoon
— Met Office (@metoffice) October 21, 2023
⛈️ A good deal of cloud elsewhere, with the risk of some heavy and thundery showers in the southeast of England
🌤️ Brightest skies out towards the west pic.twitter.com/ueeyXxCpMl
Across England, there are more than 353 flood warnings for parts of the north-east, Yorkshire, the north-west, East Anglia, the south-west and the Midlands.
The focus of the torrential rainfall is expected to move back northwards on Saturday over eastern and northern Scotland , where some places have already seen about a month and a half’s worth of rain during the storm, the Met Office said.
Storm Babet poses 'danger to life' in England and Scotland
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Storm Babet, which UK agencies are warning poses a “risk to life” as it continues to batter parts of the UK.
Three severe flood warnings issued for the River Derwent in Derbyshire.
A rare second “danger to life” red warning is also in place for parts of eastern Scotland on Saturday.
More than 100 people have been rescued from flooded areas, while dozens of people spent the night in emergency accommodation and about 4,000 people across the UK were still without power on Saturday.
The Environment Agency has put three severe flood warnings in place around the River Derwent in Derbyshire, meaning deep and fast-flowing water carries a significant risk of death or serious injury. Areas most at risk include the Derby water treatment works. There is also flooding in Derby city centre.
The Met Office warned people to expect “exceptional” amounts of heavy and persistent rainfall, deep and fast-flowing flood water, dangerous driving conditions and loss of power on Saturday.
Amber warnings for rain and possible flooding are also in place for north-east Scotland, while gales in excess of 60 to 70mph are expected across eastern Scotland and north-east England, with a yellow warning for wind in place until noon.
