Summary

  • A third person has died as Storm Babet batters Scotland and causes chaos around the UK

  • Earlier, a 56-year-old man died after a falling tree hit his van near Forfar, and a 57-year-old woman was killed after being swept into the Water of Lee

  • A red weather warning has been issued in north east Scotland from midnight, while amber and yellow warnings are in place across the UK on Friday

  • In England, homes have been flooded, train services have been cancelled and roads and schools have been closed

  • A holiday jet skidded off a runway as it came in to land at Leeds Bradford Airport amid wet and windy conditions - the airport is now closed

  • It is a similar story in Wales, with flooding also closing schools and causing travel problems

  1. Fire service says 60 people rescued in Chesterfieldpublished at 17:43 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    Gavin Bevis
    BBC News

    Mark King

    Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service says it has now rescued about 60 people from flooded homes and businesses in the Brampton area of Chesterfield.

    Incident commander Mark King said residents had been moved to a nearby rest centre set up by the county council.

    He said water levels in Brampton were currently receding but fire officers would be at the scene for several more hours.

  2. Counting the cost of saving lives and propertiespublished at 17:36 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    Kirsten Campbell
    BBC Scotland political correspondent

    Once the worst of this emergency is over, officials will be left to calculate the cost.

    Extra government funding can be made available to councils to deal with unforeseen incidents.

    It’s called the Bellwin scheme, named after the 1980s environment minister who created it.

    The idea is that compensation will be made available to local authorities who’ve incurred extra expense to safeguard lives or properties.

    There’s an assumption though that councils will have budgeted for emergencies, literally saved up for a rainy day, so local authorities can only apply for extra assistance once they meet a certain spending threshold.

    That’s calculated across a full year and not just on one incident and represents 0.2% of a local authority's budgeted net revenue expenditure. In Angus council’s case, this means a threshold of £573,240 for this financial year.

  3. Watch: Moments after plane skids off runway during stormpublished at 17:26 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    This footage was taken after a TUI flight from Corfu came off the runway at Leeds Bradford Airport earlier.

    LBA said all passengers had been safely taken off the plane and the airport had closed, with travellers urged to check with airlines before setting off.

    Media caption,

    Plane skids off runway at Leeds Bradford Airport during Storm Babet

  4. Major incident declared in Derbyshirepublished at 17:21 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    A car stuck in flood water on the Jordanthorpe Parkway

    Heavy rainfall and significant flooding has led to a major incident being declared in Derbyshire.

    Most roads in the East Midlands county have been affected by the flooding and many are closed.

    All the councils and emergency services have declared a major incident and issued guidance, including advising against non-essential travel and to look out for vulnerable neighbours. The guidance also warns against walk or driving in to flood water.

  5. Nothing we could do to save man caught in flooding - paramedicspublished at 17:16 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    West Midlands Ambulance Service says it was called to Furnace Mill Fishery in Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, at 10.42 BST after being contacted about a man going under the water.

    It says the Midlands Air Ambulance was also sent to the scene.

    “When ambulance crews arrived on scene they quickly began working with fire and police colleagues to try and find the man, who was reported to have gone under the water by a member of the public," a spokesperson said.

    They added that following a search and rescue operation, the man was pulled from the water - but it "became apparent that nothing could be done to save him and he was confirmed dead at the scene."

  6. Aberdeenshire has faced a 'tough 24 hours'published at 17:10 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    Aberdeenshire Council's Chief Executive Jim Savege tells BBC Radio Scotland it's been "a tough 24 hours" for many communities across the region.

    At the moment there are around 20 road closures and a couple of thousand people still without power, he says.

    "We've got five rest centres open," he says and he warns there is another red warning bringing more rain to the area.

    He asks people to stay at home and be prepared and to not travel unnecessarily.

    "All in all communities here know how to deal with bad weather and I would appeal to them to make sure we are all learning those lessons and looking after each other."

  7. Difficult driving conditions in area where man diedpublished at 17:03 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    Flooding near Cleobury Mortimer
    Image caption,

    Flooding has been reported around the Cleobury Mortimer area of Shropshire

    Heavy rain has swelled waterways in the area near where a man died earlier in Shropshire.

    Shropshire Council reported difficult driving conditions around Cleobury Mortimer, with several roads in the area shut because of heavy surface water and broken-down vehicles.

    People living in the nearby town of Bewdley earlier told BBC Hereford and Worcester their properties had been flooded and they were moving furniture upstairs as flood barriers had not been put up in time.

  8. Don't travel to Yorkshire coast unless essential, says forumpublished at 17:00 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    The local resilience forum in North Yorkshire has told people not to travel to the coast unless their journey is essential, because of forecasts of high wind and continuing rainfall.

    Marine Drive in Scarborough is closed and the two shows at Scarborough Spa have been cancelled.

    A local resilience forum is a partnership made up of representatives from local public services, including emergency services, local authorities, the NHS and others.

    Scarborough promenadeImage source, PA Media
  9. Airport closes after plane comes off runwaypublished at 16:58 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    On the plane which came off the runway at Leeds Bradford Airport earlier, the airport has now confirmed it is closed.

    In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, an airport spokesperson, external said: "We ask passengers to contact their airline to check the status of their flight before travelling to the airport.

    "There are no reported injuries from today’s incident and all passengers have now safely disembarked the aircraft."

    Plane at the airportImage source, Fiona Marr
  10. In pictures: Storm Babet takes hold across the UKpublished at 16:55 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    Fire engines near planeImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    A plane came off the runway at Leeds Bradford airport earlier while trying to land in the windy conditions

    Sea foam covers the path in Seaburn, SunderlandImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Sea foam covers the path in Seaburn, Sunderland

    Water covering a street outside a petrol station
    Image caption,

    A street in Stafford is submerged

    Rescuers push boat through a floodImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    And rescuers in Brechin continue to help people from their homes

  11. Four people rescued from roof of vehiclepublished at 16:47 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    Caroline Lowbridge
    BBC News

    Firefighters have rescued four people who were trapped on the roof of a vehicle in Trowell in Nottinghamshire.

    They've warned people not to drive through flood water and advised not to travel unless necessary.

    Car in flood water in TrowellImage source, Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue
  12. Man died in water from overflowing brookpublished at 16:40 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    The man who died in Shropshire earlier was said to have gone under fast-flowing water from an overflowing brook on to a road, at about 10:40 BST.

    West Mercia Police said officers quickly attended the scene but he was found dead at about 12:35.

    While formal identification hasn’t yet taken place the family of a local man in his 60s has been informed and are being supported by officers.

  13. Man dies in flooded road in Shropshirepublished at 16:36 British Summer Time 20 October 2023
    Breaking

    A man has died after getting caught in flood water in Cleobury Mortimer in Shropshire.

  14. First Minister Humza Yousaf urges public to heed advice amid 'unprecedented' rainfallpublished at 16:29 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    Media caption,

    First Minister Humza Yousaf urges public to heed advice amid 'unprecedented' rainfall

    Scotland's First Minister, Humza Yousaf, has urged the public to heed official advice amid unprecedented rainfall.

    Mr Yousaf said we were in the middle of "exceptional, often unprecedented" weather and that severe disruption was to be expected.

    Speaking to BBC Scotland News ahead of chairing a Scottish government resilience meeting on Friday evening, he said Scotland was as prepared as it could be for the rain - however, we would not be able to stop that "unprecedented level of rain from falling".

    "We're doing our best to make sure we mitigate that impact," he added.

    Mr Yousaf said the public must heed whatever official advice was given, especially if they were asked to evacuate from their homes.

    He gave assurances that those who had to leave their homes would be taken care of during the weather warning.

    On Thursday, the residents of the Angus town of Brechin were asked to evacuate ahead of the red weather warning.

    Sixty households who chose to stay in their properties had to be rescued on Friday morning, after flood defences were breached.

  15. Residents rescued from flooded homes in Chesterfieldpublished at 16:23 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    Flooding in Goyt Side, ChesterfieldImage source, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service

    Derbyshire Fire and Rescue service says they have now rescued 30 people from homes and business in the Brampton area of Chesterfield today.

    They are estimating that up to 400 properties maybe affect by the rising waters of the River Hipper – water levels are continuing to rise.

    Local people said that water started rising at about 08:00 this morning, one man said he was up top his waist by mid-morning.

    A rest centre has been set up at Queen’s Park Leisure centre…..other parts of the town are also affected which are by the Rover Rother – the are close the Chesterfield train station in the Tapton area of the town .

    Paul Moreland, from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "The rescues that we have carried out in that area highlight the serious nature of the impact of Storm Babet and I need to ensure people listen to our warnings and follow our advice."

  16. Urgent warning from firefighters on flood waters in north east Scotlandpublished at 16:20 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    AberdeenshireImage source, Newsline Media

    Firefighters are urging the public to stay away from flood waters and to follow evacuation advice as Storm Babet continues to cause life-threatening flooding across Scotland.

    A second red weather warning has been issued by the Met Office covering the Tayside and Grampian regions from midnight tonight to midnight on Saturday.

    The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has responded to almost 70 weather related incidents across Scotland, including rescues from homes and floodwaters.

    Members of the public are asked to avoid flood waters at all costs and to not to attempt to walk through, play in, drive through, or otherwise attempt to enter any flooded areas for any reason.

    David Lockhart, SFRS Assistant Chief Officer, has also urged residents to follow evacuation advice from local authorities and emergency services following a number of rescues from flooded homes.

    ACO Lockhart said: “We are facing unprecedented flooding in many areas, and we must stress to the public that flood waters should always be avoided."

    An additional amber warning for rain is in place across the Easter Ross, Caithness, and Sutherland areas for Saturday. Existing warnings are still in effect across other areas in the east and north of Scotland.

  17. No injuries reported as plane skids off runwaypublished at 16:12 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said there were no reported injuries on the plane which came off the runway at Leeds Bradford Airport earlier.

    A spokesperson said: “[Our] command unit has now been stood down, and remaining crews are now assisting in evacuating all persons from the aircraft to the terminal.”

    An airport apokesperson said: "We can confirm TUI flight TOM3551 arriving from Corfu this afternoon has moved off the runway whilst landing."

  18. Watch: Bridge destroyed overnight by Storm Babetpublished at 16:00 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    A bridge in Angus in Scotland has been swept away as racing floodwater crashed in to it throughout Thursday night, leaving the wooden crossing in pieces by Friday morning.

    Media caption,

    Bridge swept away by raging river after Storm Babet

  19. Plane comes off runway at Leeds Bradford Airportpublished at 15:41 British Summer Time 20 October 2023
    Breaking

    Fire engines surround planeImage source, YappApp

    Emergency services are at the scene at Leeds Bradford Airport after a passenger plane came off the runway.

    The airport said a TUI flight arriving from Corfu "moved off the runway whilst landing" and it was working to "remove passengers from the aircraft safely".

  20. 'We aren't going anywhere - and neither are any trains behind us'published at 15:38 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    Sharon Barbour
    BBC Look North

    There were warning announcements as I boarded the train at London's King's Cross station this morning - not about delays, but a sort of apology that the train was going to be extremely busy. It was packed.

    There were fewer trains running, and some heading to Scotland would terminate at Newcastle because of Storm Babet.

    But as we travelled north, Babet seems to be on her journey south - and 30 minutes after we set off, the train packed with people trying to get home stopped.

    There was flooding on the line north of Grantham.

    We waited.

    Eventually we moved a little - but stopped again at Peterborough.

    After a lot of waiting, all the passengers - and there must be many hundreds - were given an option to abandon the journey; "get off, and go back to London".

    Strangers started to chat, asked questions about buses, a stranger some seats away surprised me with a mini chocolate bar.

    We moved a little - then stopped again and the mood is changing; there was huffing, sighing. Louder, angrier telephone calls echoing “I'll be late".

    We aren't going anywhere - and neither are any trains behind us.

    We have been on the London to Scotland train for more than three-and-a-half hours now, and should be in Newcastle, or approaching the Scottish border. But we have barely left London, and haven’t reached Grantham: normally an hour away.

    At this rate it might be dark before we get home... if we get home.