Storm Babet Wreaks Havoc Across Britain and Europe

A torrential storm, named Storm Babet, has brought widespread disruption and flooding to Britain, with warnings that the worst may not be over yet. The Environment Agency has issued severe flood warnings around the River Derwent in Derbyshire, indicating a significant risk of death or serious injury, as well as serious disruption to local communities. Three severe flood warnings were in place, with deep and fast-flowing water posing a substantial risk to those in its path.

The storm has already claimed three lives, with the latest fatality reported in Shropshire, where a 60-year-old man was caught in fast-flowing flood water. Two others died earlier in the week, one in Angus and one in the same county. The search for a man reported trapped in a vehicle in flood water in Aberdeenshire continues.

Flooding has caused travel chaos across Britain’s rail networks, with train operators advising customers not to travel on Saturday. London’s King’s Cross station was forced to close due to overcrowding, with Network Rail implementing crowd control measures. The station reopened on Saturday afternoon after temporary measures were lifted.

Over 100 people have been rescued from flooded areas, with dozens spending the night in emergency accommodation. Around 4,000 people were without power at one stage on Saturday, although Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks have since restored power to 36,000 customers. The company is working to reconnect the remaining 700 properties by the end of the night.

The storm has also affected the North Sea, with 45 non-essential workers airlifted from a drilling platform after several of its anchors came loose. The Met Office lifted the red weather warning in parts of Scotland but warned that conditions remain treacherous, with amber and yellow warnings still in force.

Leeds Bradford airport was forced to close on Friday after a passenger plane skidded off the runway during a landing attempt. The airport reopened on Saturday afternoon. Across England, there were over 280 flood warnings on Friday, with the torrential rainfall moving northwards to eastern and northern Scotland, some areas seeing about a month and a half’s worth of rain during the storm.