Leeds-based Zarach was set up to provide beds, but is now providing food, books and toiletries.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

People in Calderdale are being warned to be prepared for the risk of flooding as heavy rain is set to sweep across the area over the next few days.

Image source, Nick Kirk/PA Wire

The Met Office has issued an amber "be prepared" warning for rain from today until noon on Thursday.

A combination of heavy rainfall, already saturated ground and melting snow could cause some flooding in Calderdale and other areas.

Organisations across the borough are preparing for potentially significant and widespread impacts, Calderdale Council said.

As a precaution over the weekend, council workers attempted to keep drains and gullies as clear as possible and took other precautionary measures.

Councillor Scott Patient, Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for climate change and resilience, said extra staff are on duty to prepare and monitor the situation, and teams are on 24-hour standby.

He added: "Council teams and our partners are doing everything we can to prepare for this week’s expected bad weather.

"We’re urging local residents and businesses to take all the steps they can to protect themselves and their property.

"There are simple things we can all do to get ready to deal with any issues caused by heavy rain or flooding. I know we’d respond with Calderdale’s usual kindness and resilience,” he said.

A former student at the University of Bradford has been given the stellar title of Solar System Ambassador from the American space agency Nasa.

Kailash Kalidoss, 35, completed his postgraduate Master of Business Administration course in Bradford in 2011-12 and has now been appointed by Nasa to share discoveries and inspire people with space science.

Mr Kalidoss, originally from Chennai in India, now lives in California.

He says: “I have great memories of my time in Bradford, and I’m still in touch with some of my old lecturers.

"The MBA really gave me a strategic mindset and the confidence to face anything in life", he adds.

A total of 26 flood alerts, external are now in place on rivers across North, South, East and West Yorkshire.

Image source, Ben Birchall/PA Wire

A flood alert means "flooding is possible, be prepared".

Meanwhile, four flood warnings - meaning immediate action should be taken as flooding is expected - are in place for parts of the rivers Derwent, Seven and Ouse.

The Met Office has issued an amber "be prepared" weather warning, external for rain in Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West, East Midlands and the east of England over the next two days.

A "major incident" has been declared in South Yorkshire in response to the forecast rainfall.

Ros Jones, mayor of Doncaster, said: "I do not want people to panic, but flooding is possible so please be prepared."

Over 70 fines were issued in South Yorkshire at the weekend to people breaching Covid-19 rules on gathering in groups, police say.

Image source, PA Media

A total of 93 Fixed Penalty Notices were issued over the weekend, totalling £18,600, with 72 of those for indoor gatherings or large groups, according to South Yorkshire Police.

At one gathering, 15 people were fined at a house party in Scotland Street, Sheffield, police said.

Supt Paul McCurry said: “We know it's not easy to be apart from loved ones, but house parties provide the greatest risk to public health, and for this reason it's right this is where we focus our attention.

“We need to ensure the efforts of the majority are not sabotaged by the few people who continue to ignore the rules.

"Our officers would rather be tackling drugs supply, investigating burglaries, and reducing violent crime," he added.

Huddersfield Town sign former Republic of Ireland defender Richard Keogh from MK Dons until the end of the season.

River levels in the Ouse, which flows through York, are high before the arrival of Storm Christoph:

Image source, Danny Lawson/PA Wire

This was the scene in King's Staith in the centre of York on Monday, with the Ouse having breached its banks as it often does during periods of heavy rain:

Image source, Danny Lawson/PA Wire

An amber "be prepared" rain warning, external has been issued for Yorkshire as Storm Christoph approaches, with the warning set to remain in place until at least noon on Thursday.

Image source, Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Several flood warnings and flood alerts are currently in place across the whole of Yorkshire, including in North Yorkshire.

A full list of the areas currently affected can be found on the government's flood warning website, external.

More than half of young people in Yorkshire said their mental health had got worse during the Covid-19 pandemic, a report has found.

Image source, Science Photo Library

A survey by The Prince's Trust said 56% of 16 to 25-year-olds questioned reported a mental decline.

Half said they felt anxious, with 18% saying they were "unable to cope with life", the survey showed.

Meanwhile, two-thirds also reported feeling like they were "missing out on being young" due to lockdown restrictions.

Clare Crabb, from the trust, said the pandemic had taken a "devastating toll on young people's mental health".

"They face a disrupted education, a shrinking jobs market and isolation from their friends and loved ones, and as a result, too many are losing all hope for the future," she said.

The report also found that one in five young people in Yorkshire did not feel confident about their future work prospects.

More than half, 53%, said getting a new job felt impossible because there was so much competition.

A total of 25 flood alerts are currently in place on rivers across West, South, North and East Yorkshire.

Image source, Rui Vera/PA Wire

The flood alert mean "flooding is possible, be prepared".

A full list of the areas currently affected can be found on the government's flood warning website, external.

Meanwhile, four flood warnings - meaning flooding is expected and immediate action should be taken - are also in place for parts of the River Ouse, Derwent and Seven.

This comes as a Met Office Amber "be prepared" warning for heavy rain remains in place for Yorkshire and the Humber region.

The Environment Agency said the combination of heavy rain and snowmelt creates a "volatile situation".

Four people found inside a shisha bar in Sheffield have each been fined £200 after a police raid found them inside in breach of Covid-19 regulations.

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

Officers discovered four people at the property on the Wicker in Sheffield at the weekend, according to South Yorkshire Police.

The four people were found in a flat above the shisha bar and were fined for breaching Covid-19 regulations by way of an unlawful gathering, said police.

A total of 50 shisha pipes were also seized during the raid, officers added.

Insp Ali Bywater said: "It is enormously disappointing this venue had chosen to continue operating in blatant breach of the restrictions which are in place to keep all of us safe."

Councillor Mark Jones said: "Where establishments, such as this one, repeatedly ignore the rules and jeopardise both theirs and other people’s lives, we must take action."

The South Yorkshire force said the latest action follows a warrant executed at a neighbouring shisha bar on the Wicker last weekend, when more than a dozen fines were issued.

BBC Weather

Mild but unsettled with outbreaks of persistent rain throughout the day and a blustery wind

Rain will continue through this evening and overnight.

An amber "be prepared" rain warning, external has been issued for Yorkshire as Storm Christoph approaches.

A "major incident" has been declared in South Yorkshire in preparation for potential flooding as Storm Christoph hits the UK.

Image source, David davies PA Wire

The Met Office has issued an amber "be prepared" weather warning for rain in parts of northern England.

The Environment Agency said the combination of heavy rain and snowmelt created a "volatile situation".

Sandbags have been laid in at-risk areas, with up to 70mm of rain expected.

In isolated spots, particularly in the northern Peak District and parts of the southern Pennines, 200mm could be possible.

Ros Jones, mayor of Doncaster, said: "I do not want people to panic, but flooding is possible so please be prepared," she said.

In the amber warning area, the Met Office warned there was a "danger to life" due to fast-flowing or deep floodwater, and told some communities the they could be "cut off" by flooded roads.

It also predicted delays and cancellations to public transport, with the amber warning in place until 12:00 on Thursday.

Three people have been rescued from a flat fire in Sheffield.

Image source, BBC/Oli Constable

The fire service were called to Batemoor Road at about 20:35 last night.

Using a ladder, three people were pulled from the blaze.

The fire service says it's thanks to smoke alarms that neighbours realised what was happening and called 999.

An amber rain warning, external has been issued for parts of northern England as Storm Christoph approaches.

Image source, PA Media

The Met Office told people in Yorkshire to expect heavy rain and potential floods.

Up to 70mm of rain is forecast to fall within 48 hours in the worst-hit areas.

The Met Office said the downpours, set to last throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, were likely to cause flooding when combined with melting snow on higher ground.

A major incident has been declared in South Yorkshire, where Doncaster Council staff have been out delivering sandbags.

Image source, Met Office

The Environment Agency currently has four flood warnings in place for Yorkshire.

A flood warning means "flooding is expected and immediate action should be taken."

Warnings have been issued at:

• River Derwent at Buttercrambe Mill, external
• River Ouse at Naburn Lock, external
• River Ouse at York - riverside properties, external
• River Seven at Marton, external

David Urpeth says smart motorways without a hard shoulder carry "an ongoing risk of future deaths."

Witnesses tell a jury of their attempts to help Libby Squire on the night of her disappearance.

People in Hull are being urged to prepare ahead of a month's worth of rain which is expected to fall in just the next few days.

Image source, MET Office

A yellow weather warning for rain has been issued for Hull, external as Storm Christoph approaches and an amber warning is in place across a large swathe of England, including northern Lincolnshire.

Up to 60mm (2.3in) of rain is forecast between midnight and Thursday morning, say Hull City Council.

The total average monthly rainfall for this area in January is around 50-60mm.

The authority says preparations, including clearing watercourse rubbish screens and emptying storage lagoons, are under way but has urged residents to make their own arrangements.

Councillor Mike Thompson, portfolio holder for environment said people "need to be prepared".

He said: "These can be simple actions such as signing up to flood warnings, or preparing an emergency flood kit full of essential items for you and your family, or a flood plan, ensuring you know what action to take if your home or business is flooded.”

Two people have been treated in hospital for serious injuries and two men have been arrested after a car crashed into a field in Wakefield, say police.

Image source, Google

A black Vauxhall Zafira with four occupants was being driven along Jumbles Lane, near the A61 Lofthouse junction, at about 22:10 yesterday when it came off the road into a field, according to West Yorkshire Police.

Two occupants of the vehicle were taken to Leeds General Infirmary with serious injuries which are not thought to be life-threatening, police said.

A 24-year-old man and a 25-year-old man were been arrested on suspicious of dangerous driving and driving over the prescribed limit, officers confirmed.

Anyone who witnessed the collision, or who saw the movements of the car immediately before it left the road, is being asked to contact police.

Kirsty Moxon, 31, was jailed for two-and-a-half years for the attack in Rotherham.

A man has died after being involved in a crash on the A66 in North Yorkshire earlier this month.

The collision, involving a silver Citroen and a yellow HGV with a trailer, happened near Scotch Corner at about 09:35 on Wednesday 6 January.

The driver of the Citroen, a man in his 50s, suffered serious injuries and was taken to James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, where he later died.

Police are now appealing for witnesses and anyone with dash camera footage of the incident to come forward.

Det Sgt Kirsten Aldridge said: "We know the weather that day was extremely wintry and we are hoping anyone who saw or believes they have captured the collision on their dash camera or the vehicles immediately prior to the collision will come forward and assist the investigation."