Storm Babet starts to wreak havoc: Army sent in to help towns flooded in Cork as torrential rain batters Ireland – as extreme weather plunges travellers into rush-hour misery at Paddington
Storm Babet continues to wreak havoc as the Army is sent in to help flooded towns in Cork and London commuters face misery because trains from Paddington station are cancelled.
The UK is bracing for heavy wind and rain from the storm, which is currently hitting Ireland after sweeping in from the Atlantic.
Cork Council said a month’s worth of rain had descended on the county in the past 24 hours and the army was being deployed to assist with the destruction.
The town centre of Midleton has become partly submerged under heavy floods and almost 1,000 homes and businesses have experienced power outages. The Gardaí told the Irish Examiner that the town was ‘impassable to traffic due to the ongoing adverse weather conditions’.
Meanwhile in London, there are disruptions to trains travelling to and from Paddington station until around 9pm this evening. There are also disruptions between Exeter St Davids and Paignton/Plymouth until the end of the day.
One person on X, formerly known as Twitter, said Paddington station was ‘packed’ due to the cancellations of trains. While another described the situation as ‘total chaos’.
A car submerged in water following floods in Cork City after storm Babet brought a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours
A rare red weather warning issued by the Met Office states there is a ‘risk to life’ has been issued for parts of Scotland, with extensive flooding, power cuts and road closures expected
A rare red weather warning stating there is a ‘risk to life’ has been issued for parts of Scotland, with extensive flooding, power cuts and road closures expected.
Storm Babet LIVE: Met Office issues red weather warning across the UK with ‘danger to life’ risks – as Scotland and Devon face catastrophic floods and travel disruptions
This is the first red warning for rain issued in the UK since Storm Dennis in February 2020.
Cork County Council have urged the public to completely avoid the town, saying 100 properties in Whitegate, Rathcormac, Glandore, Ringaskiddy, Carrigaline, Raffeen, Halfway and Casteltownbere have been flooded.
A spokesperson said: ‘Following severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall, I understand that the Defence Forces will be deployed to provide emergency assistance to Cork County Council.’
Angus Council which covers parts of Aberdeenshire, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross, said the severe weather warnings were ‘unprecedented’, and schools would be closing at lunchtime on Thursday, and all day Friday.
A Met Office spokesman said the red warning area covered from just north of Dundee up towards Aberdeen, and inland towards Balmoral.
The certainty of the forecast has increased, as has the amount of expected rainfall.
It begins at 6pm on Thursday and is active until midday on Friday.
Huge waves seen in Teignmouth South Devon as storm Babet continues to wreak havoc
A member of the public struggles in the wind and rain with an umbrella in a windswept Brighton, East Sussex this afternoon
Angus council said Sepa advised that the North and South Esk River were at greatest risk of flooding and sand bags were being distributed, with flood prevention schemes utilised in Brechin and Arbroath.
A spokesman for Angus Council said: ‘Although red warnings are extremely rare, Angus is used to severe adverse weather conditions, and has robust resilience plans in place with local teams preparing to respond to the situation as it develops.
‘We are working closely with our resilience partners and will continue to work together as the days unfold. The focus of our energies and resources are on the areas of greatest need, focusing on preserving life and ensuring the safety of our citizens.’
Chief meteorologist Jason Kelly said: ‘Confidence has increased in the chances of considerable impacts from rainfall in parts of the east of Scotland from Storm Babet, which has resulted in the escalation to the red warning.
‘One hundred to 150mm of rain is expected to fall quite widely within the warning period, with some locations likely to see 200-250mm, which is expected to cause considerable impacts, with flooding likely.’
Aftermath in Paignton, Devon of Storm Babet blowing across the south coast today
The Met Office has warned storm Babet could cause flooding and travel disruption in the UK after issuing a red weather warning. Pictured: Traffic in heavy rain on the M25 near Swanley in Kent
He continued: ‘Storm Babet will track gradually northwards in the coming days, and although the most significant impacts are expected within the red and amber warning areas, there will still be wider impacts for much of the UK from this wind and rain.’
David Morgan, flood duty manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), urged people in the affected areas to check for flood updates in the coming days.
He said: ‘Storm Babet will bring heavy rain and high winds across Scotland from Wednesday evening, starting in the south-west before moving across to the north-east through Thursday and into the weekend.
‘Impacts from surface water and rivers are likely, and with catchments saturated from recent heavy rain and flooding, we’re urging people to be prepared for potential flooding.
‘There is also concern that surface-water flooding may be exacerbated by debris blocking drainage, culverts, etc. as a result of the high winds.’
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