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

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[1]. 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[2] after a van driver was killed by a falling tree near Forfar, Scotland[3], 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 [email protected].

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

Amber and yellow weather warnings for swathes of UK

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

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. Story continues “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

19:50 , Jane Dalton

A fallen tree on the Neilston line in Scotland damaged overhead cables. ? Our team at Whitecraigs have advised that it’s not going to be a quick fix.

As you can see in these pics, the fallen tree has caused significant damage to our overhead power lines – these carry electricity at 25,000 volts to power trains. @ScotRail pic.twitter.com/1ydT6qWtnF[4][5] — Network Rail Scotland (@NetworkRailSCOT) October 20, 2023[6]

Major incident declared in Derbyshire as roads closed

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

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

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

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[7]

Eight people rescued near Solihull

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

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

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. ? ScotRail warns Storm Babet impact likely to continue into Sunday.

— ScotRail (@ScotRail) October 20, 2023[8]

Plane overshot runway in storm

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

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

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

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. ?

Some parts of Scotland have seen over a month’s rainfall in the past 36 hours, with further heavy rain likely into the weekend Here are the latest totals ? pic.twitter.com/SlIKpQX4ZT[9] — Met Office (@metoffice) October 20, 2023[10]

Man dies in Shropshire floodwater

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

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

16:02 , Jane Dalton A Tui Boeing 737 Max skidded off the runway at Leeds Bradford airport[11] while landing in high winds. And on the railways, the entire LNER[12] network has come to an almost total halt because of Storm Babet:

Tui plane skids off runway at Leeds Bradford airport[13]

Homes near Dundee to be evacuated

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.” Monifieth, right now.

Residents should contact their insurers. Everyone please take care. I’m also in contact with Officers regarding this. pic.twitter.com/8V9M1k05zt[14]

— Cllr Lloyd Melville (@LloydAMelville) October 20, 2023[15]

Waves rip top off lighthouse

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

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

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

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 [16]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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.[17][18][19][20][21]

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 [22]a man whose van was hit by a falling[23]tree[24] in Scotland[25].

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.