The Environment Agency has issued warnings that major rivers in England could continue to experience flooding until Tuesday, while train services across various parts of the country are also being disrupted. Following Storm Babet, additional “risk-to-life” flood warnings have been issued and homes have been evacuated. Two severe flood warnings are in place near the River Idle in Nottinghamshire, indicating a risk of death or serious injury as water levels rise. Unfortunately, the storm has already claimed at least four lives, including that of a woman in her 80s in Derbyshire.
The River Idle is expected to reach record levels, prompting the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Local Resilience Forum (LRF) to urge residents in Retford to evacuate. Emergency services are assisting with evacuations, and a rest center has been set up at Retford Leisure Centre. The Environment Agency has warned that major rivers could remain flooded until Tuesday, affecting train services in Scotland, Yorkshire, and East Anglia, with certain routes still experiencing flooding. Record-breaking water levels in the River Derwent have been observed by Derby City Council, which has also highlighted that the cleanup process after the floods may take several days.
While three severe flood warnings around the River Derwent were downgraded on Sunday morning, over 170 flood warnings, indicating less dangerous flooding, are still in place across England. Derbyshire Police reported the death of a woman in Chesterfield, suspecting it to be related to the flooding in the area. In terms of transportation disruptions, London North Eastern Railway (LNER) informed customers that there are no services operating north of Edinburgh to Aberdeen. ScotRail also reported closed routes between Aberdeen and Dundee, as well as Aberdeen and Elgin. Various other train services in Scotland are also affected.
According to the Met Office, areas severely impacted by the flooding caused by Storm Babet may experience a couple of quieter days. However, a pulse of rain is expected to move north overnight on Monday and into Tuesday, and the rest of the week is predicted to be unsettled with occasional rain spells. The Energy Network Association stated that a small number of homes would still be without power on Sunday, following initial power cuts that affected around 100,000 customers. Tragically, during the storm, a man in Shropshire died after being caught in fast-flowing floodwater, and other fatalities occurred in Scotland, including a driver hit by a falling tree and a woman swept into a river.
An ongoing search is also taking place in Aberdeenshire after a report of a man trapped in a vehicle in floodwater.