Storm Babet’s Fury Claims Three Lives, Warnings Issued

As the remnants of Storm Babet slowly dissipate, tributes have been paid to the three people who lost their lives in two separate weather-related incidents on Friday. The Met Office issued new yellow weather warnings on Tuesday, cautioning of heavy rain and potential flooding in parts of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and the southeast of England.

The warnings, which will remain in place until Wednesday morning, come with a small chance of fast-flowing or deep flood water causing danger to life. The south-east is particularly susceptible, with the expectation of heavy rain in areas already experiencing flooding.

Tragedy struck on Friday morning when a pileup of four cars and an HGV on the M4 in Wiltshire claimed the lives of Cheryl Woods, 61, and her daughter Sarha Smith, 40, from Caerphilly, south Wales. The pair’s family released a statement saying they were “cherished by those in her life” and prioritized their family’s wellbeing above their own.

In another incident, Peter Pelling, 61, from Arbroath, was swept away in floodwaters in Aberdeenshire. Police Scotland alerted emergency services to a man trapped in his vehicle near Marykirk at 3am on Friday morning, but Pelling’s body was not recovered until Monday.

The family of Peter Pelling paid tribute to him, describing him as a “very kind, loyal and hardworking man” who was a devoted son, brother, uncle, partner, and friend.

Maureen Gilbert, an 84-year-old woman, was found dead in her home in Chesterfield on Saturday morning. Derbyshire police has referred itself to the IOPC over her death, as officers had been involved in the local emergency service flood response.

As the full extent of the damage becomes clear, it has emerged that at least 1,250 properties in England were flooded, with October daily rainfall records broken last week in 13 areas. Flood reports to the Environment Agency were at their highest level since 2015/16 during Storm Babet.

Tuesday evening is expected to bring difficult driving conditions, delays, and cancellations to buses and trains, with a possibility that homes and businesses could be further flooded and communities cut off. As the region recovers from the storm’s fury, the loss of these three lives will be deeply felt by their families and communities.