UK weather: Fresh deluge of ‘heavy rain’ forecast as yellow weather warning comes into force
Met Office says ‘small chance’ homes and businesses could be flooded
A fresh deluge of rain is expected to hit parts of the UK as a yellow weather warning comes into force.
The warning for “heavy rain” will be in place between 3am and 4pm on Tuesday.
The Met Office said there is a “small chance” that homes and businesses could be flooded, that fast-flowing or deep floodwater could cause a danger to life and that some communities will be cut off by flooded roads.
It comes as the flood risk in England and Wales remained at medium on Monday and the death toll from Storm Babet rose to at least seven people.
The warning covers a vast swathe of England already hit by flooding and could lead to further floods in the East Midlands, including Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, as well as much of Yorkshire, including Sheffield, Leeds and York and Humberside.
Rachel Ayers, Met Office meteorologist, said a few places, most likely Lincolnshire and Humberside, could see 30-50mm of rain while southern England and Wales could experience 10-20mm.
She said there will be “some respite” across Scotland on Tuesday after its battering by the storm.
“The weather we are seeing on Tuesday is no longer associated with Storm Babet,” Ms Ayers told the PA news agency.
“We will see some heavy rain in areas affected by flooding during Storm Babet though the worst impacted areas in Scotland will remain mostly dry on Tuesday.”
She continued: “Within the warning area we could see some travel disruption due to spray and flooding on roads.
“There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life, or that some communities could be cut off due to flooded roads.”
Reports of floods to the Environment Agency (EA) reached the highest level since 2015/16 at the peak of the storm, environment minister Rebecca Pow told the Commons on Monday.
The EA issued more than 300 flood warnings and received more than 1,800 calls to its flood line, she said.
Hundreds of people have been left homeless in the wake of Storm Babet, with about 1,250 properties in England flooded, according to the EA.
Ms Pow said investigations are expected.
A total of 13 areas broke their daily rainfall records for October last week, including sites in Suffolk, South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Wiltshire, Kincardineshire, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Northumberland, Derbyshire and Humberside, the Met Office said.
The death toll rose on Monday as police recovered the body of a man after reports that a person was trapped in a vehicle in floodwater near Marykirk, Aberdeenshire, on Friday.
Police Scotland said that formal identification is still to take place, however next of kin have been informed.
On Saturday, 83-year-old Maureen Gilbert was found dead in her flooded home in Tapton Terrace, Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
Mrs Gilbert’s neighbours said five feet of water had engulfed the inside of their properties “within minutes” of the River Rother bursting its banks.
Wendy Taylor, 57, died after being swept into the Water of Lee, Glen Esk, on Thursday.
Mrs Taylor, who was described as “the beloved wife, best friend and soulmate in life to George, mother to James, Sally and Susanna and Granny to India and George”, was said to be “a ray of sunshine for everyone who was fortunate enough to know her” in a tribute issued through Police Scotland.
Two women died after a five-vehicle crash on the M4 on Friday which is believed to have been weather-related.
Four cars and an HGV were involved in the crash on the eastbound carriageway between junction 17 for Chippenham and junction 18 for Bath.
A 56-year-old driver, John Gillan, died when a tree fell on his van near Forfar in Angus on Thursday and a man in his 60s died after getting caught in fast-flowing floodwater in the town of Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, on Friday.
Mr Gillan’s family said he was a loving husband, father, granfather and son.