Hundreds of properties in the UK have flooded as a result of Storm Babet, which prompted weather experts to issue rare weather warnings last week as the storm brought strong winds and heavy rain and to the United Kingdom.
The Environment Agency (EA) of U.K. said there will continue to be a risk of “significant” flooding in England through the end of this week while the majority of the “severe” flooding addressed by EA officials on Monday was in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
The EA said in a Monday news release that at least 1,260 properties were reported to have flooded as a result of the storm. Agency officials were continuing their efforts to protect homes and businesses by using pumps and assembling temporary flood barriers to move floodwater. So far, the EA estimated that as a result of these precautions, 41,000 properties were protected from flooding. Even so, EA Flood Duty Manager Sarah Cook said in the release that it was vital the public remains cautious.
On Monday, Newsweek reached out to the EA by email for additional information about the flooded properties.
The Met Office, which serves as the United Kingdom’s national weather service, introduced Babet as a named storm on 16th October. Two days later, the Met Office issued its first 2023 Red weather warning for parts of Scotland, warning that heavy rainfall and potential flooding could pose a “danger to life,” while a second Red weather warning was issued for 21st October.
At the time A Met Office spokesperson told Newsweek that Red weather warnings are “relatively rare” for the U.K. and reserved for the most extreme weather impacts. Prior to Babet, the U.K.’s last Red weather warning was issued during a July 2022 heat wave.
people throughout the U.K. posed photos and videos on social media showing flooded roads and rising river levels. It was reported by he Met Office that as Storm Babet dumped rain on the region, several areas had received “well over their average” rainfall totals for October in less than one week.
At least four people in the United Kingdom. had died as a result of the storm’s impacts by Monday, while another death in Germany was also linked to Babet, according to The Associated Press.
With more rain in the forecast this week, several communities remain under warnings and flood alerts. The EA said that 108 flood alerts and 105 flood warnings were still in place Monday afternoon, with additional warnings expected to be issued for parts of Yorkshire and the East Midlands.
People in areas that either had floodwater concerns already or that were under flood watches or warnings were urged to keep track of local alerts, avoid driving through floodwater and stay away from rivers that may see water levels rise further with additional rainfall.
