Storm Babet rips through UK for fourth day leaving chaos in its wake and warnings of more lives at risk

Over 250 flood warnings remain in place, as hundreds of people rescued from flooded homes

Storm Babet has ripped through the UK for a fourth day leaving chaos in its wake and warnings of more lives at risk.

The number of people who have had to be rescued reached the hundreds on Saturday, with some trapped residents even having to be airlifted from their homes. Meanwhile, the railway network has suffered heavy disruptions across the country, culminating in the forced closure of King’s Cross Station.

Over 250 flood warnings remain in place, as hundreds of properties have been flooded, while thousands of households have been hit by power cuts.

The storm has already claimed the lives of six people since it hit the UK on Wednesday, while a search continues in Aberdeenshire after a report of a man trapped in a vehicle in floodwater.

A view of the River Don as SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) issued several flood warning along the length of the river (Getty Images)

Jacqui Semple, head of risk, resilience and safety for Angus Council, said people were rescued from between 80 to 100 flooded homes across Angus in East Scotland on Saturday. In Bridge of Dun, residents were airlifted out via helicopter, while in other areas those stranded were rescued by boats, including canoes.

Labour MP Toby Perkins said about 400 houses in his Chesterfield constituency have been flooded and many people “have no idea where they’re going to be living”. Standing on a road in his constituency that was “underwater yesterday and has significant damage”, Mr Perkins told BBC One’s Today programme: “About 400 houses have been flooded, many of the businesses here have lost all their stock and will be closed.”

Members of the emergency services help local residents to safety in Brechin, Angus (PA Wire)

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.

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 has been forced to close due to overcrowding after disruption to services. London North Eastern Railway (LNER), Avanti West Coast and Northern Rail have all warned against travelling as lines are widely flooded.

Waves at Stonehaven Harbour as Storm Babet batters the UK for a fourth day (PA)

The Environment Agency (EA) has warned that flooding from major rivers could continue until Tuesday. It said three severe flood warnings were in place around the River Derwent in Derbyshire, meaning deep and fast-flowing water carries a significant risk of death or serious injury, as well as serious disruption to local communities.

Katharine Smith, EA flood duty manager, said: “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.

Sandbags are placed alongside a collapsed river wall on River Street in Brechin as Storm Babet batters the country (PA)

“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.

A man pulls a boy on a body board through flood water in the Pentagon area of Derby after the River Derwent burst its banks during storm Babet on Saturday (Getty Images)

On Saturday afternoon, over 250 warnings remained in place, while the agency said 237 flooded properties had been reported, with a further 20,000 protected by defences.

Julie Foley, director of flood strategy and adaptation at the Environment Agency, said temporary flood barriers have been 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.”

The worst hit area in Scotland is now an “improving picture”, but there are still fears of further floods as a red danger to life weather warning remains in place until 6pm for Angus and Aberdeenshire.

Emergency services go door to door speaking with residents and assist with putting out sandbags in Canal Road in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire (PA)

Scotland’s First Minister urged people to heed the red weather warning and evacuate if instructed. Humza Yousaf posted on X, formerly Twitter: “A red weather Warning remains in place for Angus and parts of Aberdeenshire. Please comply with the advice being given, particularly if you are asked to evacuate, it is for your own safety.”

The Energy Networks Association said around 100,000 customers had been affected by power cuts due to Storm Babet, but by Saturday morning 96 per cent had been reconnected, leaving 4,000 still without power.

Emergency services at the scene after a passenger plane came off the runway at Leeds Bradford Airport while landing in windy conditions during Storm Babet (Danny Lawson/PA Wire)

Leeds Bradford Airport has reopened after heavy winds forced a Tui flight with 195 passengers and crew to skid off a runway on Friday. Tui customers who were due to travel from Leeds Bradford on Saturday are being directed to Manchester Airport, the airline said.

Two women were killed in a weather-related crash on the M4 involving a lorry and four cars, as reported by the MailOnline. And a teenage driver was killed in separate crash hours later after hitting a wall in a West Yorkshire village on Friday, the Sun reported.

Also on Friday, a man in his 60s died after getting caught in fast-flowing flood water in the town of Cleobury Mortimer in Shropshire. Police Scotland previously said a falling tree hit a van near Forfar in Angus on Thursday evening, killing the 56-year-old driver. A 57-year-old woman also died on Thursday after being swept into a river in the region.