Live coverage as Storm Babet batters West Midlands

1. Man dies after being swept away in fast-flowing water
2. The man was caught in water from a brook near Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, that had breached a road
3. Bewdley flooded as it became too dangerous to install defences, the Environment Agency confirms
4. A woman was rescued after being swept 100m downstream when she got out of her car in a Staffordshire ford
5. Many roads are impassable because of flooding and there is major rail disruption
6. More than a dozen schools were closed, mainly in Worcestershire

End of live flooding coverage

Allen Cook

BBC News

We are ending our live coverage of the widespread flooding across the West Midlands caused by Storm Babet.

Thanks for joining us for the updates today.

Flooded car parks warning for drivers

The worst of Storm Babet appears to have passed through Shropshire, according to the council.

But Shropshire Council said there were still some dangerous travelling conditions on local roads.

Frankwell Main and Frankwell Riverside car parks in Shrewsbury were closed and the authority has urged people to use the local park and ride to get into the town on Saturday.

While in Worcester, the city council warned drivers to avoid several car parks due to a risk of flooding.

Hylton Road, Worcester, would also shut at 19:30 BST to allow a flood gate to be put in place by the Environment Agency, Worcestershire County Council said.

Man climbs on to car roof as vehicle swept into river

A man had to climb onto the roof of his car when it was pushed 30 metres down a fast-flowing river in Northfield, Birmingham.

The motorist, a man thought to be in his 40s, had tried to drive through a ford in The Mill Walk, West Midlands Fire Service said.

His car was quickly pushed downstream into the River Rea and got stuck, forcing him to climb onto the roof.

He then used a tree branch to make his way to the embankment and was led to safety by fire crews an hour later.

The fire service said he had a "lucky escape", adding: "We repeat: Do not drive into flood water. It puts you, and our firefighters who respond, in very real danger."

West Midlands Fire Service

The driver had tried to get through this flooded ford in Northfield when his car was swept downstream

Video shows speed of water flooding roads

Roads flooded in Snailbeach

This short video from Snailbeach, a hillside village in Shropshire, shows the speed of water on some steep roads in the county.

It also suggests a fair amount of soil erosion from nearby fields.

Flood barriers being installed in Bewdley

Nina Das Gupta

BBC Hereford & Worcester

Flood barriers are being put up in Bewdley along the River Severn this evening, according to resident Peter Barnett who has taken this picture.

Earlier on Friday, the installation of barriers on the right bank side of the town had to be abandoned after the rising water level made it unsafe for staff, the Environment Agency said.

The rain across the West Midlands on Friday fell further south and with much more intensity than expected, Marc Lidderth, from the agency, said.

Peter Barnett

Child and adults rescued from multiple stranded vehicles

A child along with five men, two women and a dog were rescued from vehicles stuck in flood water in Warwickshire, the fire service said.

Drivers were warned to avoid the area around Balsall Street, Balsall Common, because of flooding.

Rafts were used to ferry the group from five cars and a van at about 14:20 BST.

While in Staffordshire, a man and a woman were rescued from vehicles stuck in flood water in Rugeley and Stafford.

Neither were injured and the fire service urged drivers to avoid the areas around Mill Lane, Great Haywood and Moor Lane, Rugeley.

Bewdley flood barriers could not be put up - Environment Agency

BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester

Flood barriers were not put up in time to protect homes and businesses along the River Severn in part of Bewdley, Worcestershire, a pub manager said.

Staff at The Mug House, on Severn Side North, had to get sandbags in place and move furniture out of the ground floor as it became "a little bit of a panic situation", Eddie Hill said.

The Environment Agency (EA) confirmed that installing barriers had become dangerous as the flood waters rose.

BBC

Mr Hill said EA staff began putting up barriers on Friday at about 10:00 BST, but had to stop.

"It's a massive surprise to everybody because normally the Environment Agency are very good, very on the ball," Mr Hill said.

"I don't know where this has happened. The Environment Agency generally have never let us down so it's just very surprising that it's happened this time."

The barriers on Severn Side North were being deployed but it was stopped due to "plant equipment failures", Bewdley Town Council said in a post on Facebook.

The EA has confirmed that installation of the barriers had been suspended.

"Our field teams had been working to install the barriers on the right bank side of Bewdley, but as flood water continued to rise it became unsafe for them to continue, and the flood barriers were not deployed," said Marc Lidderth, EA's place manager for Shropshire and Worcestershire.

"Our teams are on the ground in Bewdley now, supporting residents, we are aware some properties have flooded already and we expect water levels to continue to rise."

BBC

Flooded roads around showground

Dan Pallett

BBC Midlands Today

This was the scene at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern this afternoon.

BBC

BBC

Rail disruption expected until end of day

Disruption to services in the Midlands is expected until the end of the day, National Rail said.

West Midlands Railway has suspended services running between Hereford and Birmingham New Street due to flooding in the Worcester area and this is expected until the end of service, it said.

Other disruption was expected until 20:00:

• Services running to/from Stratford-upon-Avon may terminate/start at Birmingham Snow Hill or divert via Dorridge, following flooding between Worcester Foregate Street and Stratford
• Trains running between Birmingham International and Rugeley Trent Valley may be cancelled, delayed or terminated, after flooding between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley
• The railway flooded between Shrewsbury and Hereford/Wolverhampton, so trains between these stations may be cancelled or delayed

BBC

Extreme weather has affected rail services throughout the day, including around Birmingham New Street

Cleobury Mortimer death: Man rescued but died at scene

Allen Cook

BBC News

The man who died after he was caught in fast-flowing flood water on Friday morning was rescued but died at the scene, the ambulance service said.

Crews were called at about 10:45 BST on Friday along with police officers and firefighters, to Furnace Mill Fishery, Cleobury Mortimer, after reports of a man who had gone under the water.

He was rescued but paramedics quickly found nothing could be done to save him and he was confirmed dead, a spokesperson said.

BBC

Woman rescued after being swept 100m from car

West Midlands Fire Service

The woman's car was left marooned in the ford after she was swept downstream

A woman has been rescued from fast-flowing water, after she was swept 100m from her car.

She had tried to drive through Trescott ford, in Wombourne, Staffordshire but got out of her vehicle when the high water pushed it downstream, the fire service said.

The woman, who was believed to be in her 60s, was then swept downstream before managing to grab a tree branch.

She was understood to have been taken by ambulance to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton for precautionary checks.

West Midlands Fire Service was called to Trescott Lane at about 11:45 and left shortly after 13:00.

Fire engines from Tettenhall and Wolverhampton responded, along with a crew from Staffordshire.

Cleobury Mortimer death: Heavy rain disrupts area

Ben Sidwell

BBC Midlands Today

Rivers and brooks in the area have risen dramatically from the storm's rainfall and Shropshire Council reported difficult driving conditions around Cleobury Mortimer.

Flooding has forced the closure of the A4117 between Cleobury and Ludlow and other routes are affected by heavy surface water and broken down vehicles, the authority said.

BBC

Rainfall figures

Rebecca Wood

BBC Midlands Today

In the 24 hours to 16:00 at Pennerley, Shropshire, there was 67mm of rainfall recorded - 2.6 inches.

At Leek in Staffordshire, nearly half an inch of rain fell between 06:00 and 07:00 - 10.8mm.

This evening across the region it'll turn showery, with more rain expected on Saturday, but it will start to ease as we head into Sunday.

Man's family getting support after body find

Ben Sidwell

BBC Midlands Today

The family of the man who died in flood water near Cleobury Mortimer is getting support from specialist officers, West Mercia Police says.

Formal identification has yet to take place after his body was found at about 12:35 BST.

The heavy rain from Storm Babet has swelled waterways in the area, resulting in some very fast-flowing brooks and rivers.

BBC

BreakingMan dies after being swept away in flood water

Ben Sidwell

BBC Midlands Today

A man has died after being swept away in flood water from a brook when it breached a road in Shropshire, police said.

The victim, aged in his 60s, was reported to have gone under the water near Cleobury Mortimer by a member of the public at about 10:40 BST on Friday.

Police officers and firefighters were called to the scene and found his body at about 12:35.

Your photos: Lorry stuck in Ludlow floodwater

The heavy rain has left roads flooded across the region including the A49 Ludlow by-pass, according to Penny Salisbury.

She sent these photos from Fishmore Road bridge, which crosses the road:

Penny Salisbury

Penny Salisbury

Widespread disruption to Welsh-Shropshire rail services

Train services across Wales and neighbouring counties including Shropshire have been disrupted due to blocked lines, Transport for Wales said.

Services between Shrewsbury and Cardiff and Shrewsbury and Crewe remain open, the operator said.

But these routes have all been suspended:

• Llanwrtyd - Shrewsbury (Llanwrtyd towards south open)
• Shrewsbury - Wolverhampton
• Chester - Crewe
• Wrexham - Shrewsbury
• Newtown - Welshpool
• Llandudno Junction - Holyhead

Disruption was expected to continue into the weekend and road transport was not available due to flooding on those routes, it added.

My 25-minute journey that took two hours

Carlie Swain

BBC News

It's pretty bad through Minsterley, in Shropshire, at the moment.

A journey that usually takes me 25 minutes has just taken almost two hours.

A number of roads are impassable, the brook has nearly burst its banks and it's still raining.

This is how it looks in Stiperstones.

Flooding in Stiperstones

BreakingFlood barriers 'not up in time' in Bewdley

Richie Heath

We've been getting reports that the flood barriers in part of Bewdley, Worcestershire, were not put up in time to stop the River Severn when it broke its banks due to heavy rain from Storm Babet.

Several residents and business owners have told BBC Hereford and Worcester their properties have been flooded and people were moving furniture upstairs.

Jason Leach emailed us earlier to say: "Lots of houses at real risk of flooding."

The Environment Agency has been approached for a response.

Crews tackling 100 flooding incidents

BBC Weather Watcher Videoman

Highways crews in Staffordshire are dealing with more than 100 flooding incidents, the county council says.

Multiple major and minor roads are shut after floods with the storm also bringing down trees.

The Stone area is one of the worst affected, with five trees currently blocking the A520 around Oulton. The road is likely to be shut until Saturday.

“With further rain expected overnight and into the morning and the risk of more flooding on our roads, I’d ask people not to travel unless they really have to," a spokesperson said.