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Man dies as Storm Babet floods sweep England

BBC Swollen brook in Cleobury MortimerBBC
The man disappeared under water that breached the road from a nearby brook

A man has died after being swept away by flood waters in Shropshire, as Storm Babet wreaks havoc across England.

The man, who in his 60s, was submerged shortly before 10:40 BST when a brook breached a road in Cleobury Mortimer.

He is the third person to die in the UK. A 56-year-old man and a woman, 67, were killed in separate incidents in Scotland.

Homes have been flooded, schools closed and motorways and railway lines submerged as the storm batters England.

An amber warning for persistent heavy rain is in place until 06:00 on Saturday. Up to 60mm of rain is likely, with the potential for up to 120mm on higher ground, the Met Office said.

People have been warned of fast-flowing or deep floodwater, causing danger to life.

The storm is causing disruption across the country, including:

  • A holiday jet skidded off the runway as it came in to land at Leeds Bradford Airport. All passengers were safely taken off the TUI plane and the airport was closed
  • Flooding has blocked all railway lines running through Swindon, as well as several routes across northern England and the Midlands
  • A driver had a "lucky escape" after his car was pushed 30 metres down a fast-flowing river in Birmingham. After it got stuck, he managed to climb out and use a tree branch to make his way to the embankment
  • Residents in Suffolk have been urged to only travel if essential as a major incident has been declared
  • Twenty residents have been rescued from their flooded homes in Chesterfield, Derbyshire amid "significant flooding"
Video shows water gushing into a home in Needham Market in Suffolk

In the East Midlands, heavy rain is causing disruption, with roads blocked by flooding and fallen trees, and across the West Midlands schools are shut and several roads are impassable.

The East Midlands has also had reports of cars being stranded in deep water, including in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.

Schools have been shut in the West Midlands, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire, in many cases due to flooding on nearby roads.

There has been flooding in parts of the east of England, with residents in Hemsby in Norfolk nervously watching high tide.

The village has been ravaged by coastal erosion and residents fear more land could be lost, along with properties. However, there were reports the village had avoided the worst at high tide at 11:21.

BBC Radio Norfolk reporter Andrew Turner, who is at the site, said the sea was still rough, but had receded after high tide.

"I have seen lumps of sand and marram grass coming down from the cliff and going across the beach into the water," he said.

"There has been some erosion but I haven't heard of anything that has had an effect on property."

The River Derwent at Matlock
Fast-flowing water has been gushing along the River Derwent in Matlock

Train services between Bristol and London have been cancelled or delayed due to flooding in Swindon, and there are also no trains are running between Derby and Sheffield or Nottingham, Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley, and Shrewsbury and Hereford or Wolverhampton.

Services between Hereford and Birmingham New Street, Chester and Crewe, and Wrexham Central and Bidston, have also been suspended.

Parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire have also been affected, with Rotherham Central Station closed and several railway lines blocked by floodwater.

National Highways said the M606 northbound exit slip road at junction three in Bradford had also been shut and tram services have been diverted in Sheffield.

PA Media Sea foam covers promenadePA Media
Sea foam covered the promenade in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, as strong waves hit across the country.

Storm Babet has already caused damage across the country, including a beach bar being swept into the sea in Torquay, Devon.

On Thursday, a woman and a four-year-old girl had to be rescued from a car stuck in floodwater near Carlisle.

The amber warning of rain joins a yellow warning of wind for Friday, which covers the East Midlands, East, north-east England, and Yorkshire and the Humber.

It started at midday and ends at 12:00 on Saturday.

Weather warnings for Friday
A yellow warning means severe weather is possible, whereas an amber warning means there is an increased likelihood of bad weather affecting you.
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