Summary
I’m signing off now but here’s a summary of today’s main flooding news:
- A woman’s body has been pulled from flood water in Derbyshire after reports of someone being swept away by a river, police said. Emergency services were called to a stretch of the River Derwent in Darley Dale, close to Matlock, in the early hours of Friday morning, Derbyshire police said.
- Derbyshire was hit with more rainfall in 24 hours than it normally receives in a single month. The Environment Agency’s gauge in Glossop, a market town on the edge of the Peak District, recorded 114mm of rain in the 24 hours up to 4am. Derbyshire receives an average of 90.7mm of rain for the month of November.
- Flooding has sparked huge transport disruption today, leaving thousands of commuters facing a battle to get to work. Train operators warned passengers not to travel on a series of routes through Yorkshire – particularly in the Sheffield area – and between Hebden Bridge and Rochdale in the north-west.
- Stranded shoppers who were forced to camp out for the night had to buy spare clothes from Primark as they sheltered from the floods. Saskia Hazelwood, 17, a student from Doncaster, who was among those trapped in Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping centre until 7am, told how she took refuge on sofas in M&S. “We instantly started panicking and, when we found out there was no way of getting home, we went into Primark and all bought spare clothes and we bought food and drinks to keep us going throughout the night.
- As the clean up operation begins, the rainfall has eased off with little or none across the Midlands and north, bar the odd isolated shower. Tomorrow a weather front will move from Wales towards the east of England but it will fizzle out by the evening, according to the Met Office.
Updated
While flood waters have left many stranded, one woman was determined not to let the weather get in the way of her journey to the shops.
Footage captured by a passerby yesterday shows an older woman ploughing through flood water on her mobility scooter. As cars grind past at snail’s pace, the scooter continues in determined fashion.
Stephanie Jubb, who witnessed the scene in Sheffield and posted the video on her Facebook page with a caption reading “OMG [Oh my God]”, said: “The woman just started driving and we were like, ‘she’s not gonna do it, she’s not gonna do it’ and then she just carried on. She didn’t even lift her legs up or anything.”
Jubb, who works in a pharmacy, said the woman later returned with shopping bags onboard her scooter. “She’s come back through it with her shopping bags, but we didn’t get that on tape,” Jubb told PA Media.
She said she could not believe the clip had gone viral, adding that she felt the clip illustrated “northern spirit”.
“The people up north are quite strong. They just carry on doing their daily thing.”
Updated
More from Doncaster, as it has emerged one woman was rescued from her property and carried through flood waters on a man’s back.
Meanwhile, another resident, Lacey Hanrahan, was taken away with her baby by boat when water started flooding into her home.
The 24-year-old told PA Media: “I live down the end where there’s a dip in the road, so we were one of the first to be affected. It got to the point where I wasn’t able to walk out, so I was taken out on the boat. I just can’t believe how deep the water has got.”
Updated
My colleague, Paul Scruton, has produced a map showing the array of flood warnings put out by the Environment Agency as of 10am this morning. Since then, the number has reduced to 70 in addition to six severe flood warnings, which indicate a risk to life.
Updated
The emergency operation to find the woman whose body was recovered from flood water in Darley Dale involved a coastguard helicopter, a drone and mountain rescuers.
Local worker Mark Hopkinson, who workd told BBC Radio Derby: “There was a police helicopter flying up and down this area as though they were looking for somebody or something.
“We didn’t know whether they were just checking the water levels or the extent of the flooding. Then police vehicles started turning up and we learned they were looking for a missing person.
“They had people on the ground looking, and mountain rescuers. We saw a little drone go up and the coastguard helicopter came, and that was then circling, hovering over some trees.”
Updated
Woman's body found in flood water near Darley Dale
A woman’s body has been pulled from flood water in Derbyshire after reports of someone being swept away by a river, police said.
Emergency services were called to a stretch of the River Derwent in Darley Dale, close to Matlock, in the early hours of Friday morning, Derbyshire police said.
A spokesman said:“The woman was reported as having been swept away by flood water in Rowsley and the body of what is believed to be the same woman was found in Darley Dale and was recovered at 10.40am.
“The family of the woman have been informed and our thoughts are with them at this time. Formal identification has yet to take place.”
Updated
Stranded residents in Doncaster had to be rescued from their homes by boat yesterday as waist-high water filled the road.
Rescue teams put down sandbags in an attempt to stem the flow of water, while police cars surrounded the area.
One woman, who has lived in her home in Yarborough Terrace – near the banks of the River Don – for more than 20 years, said the downstairs of her property had filled with water at about 7am on Friday. “I’ve never known it to be this bad”, she told PA Media.
Another woman, who did not wish to be named, said she would have to house her daughter and grandchildren for the next few days because of the flooding.
She said: “We’ve just taken the decision to get out of here as soon as possible – it’s dangerous as it is and it’ll only get worse.”
Updated
South Yorkshire fire and rescue service received nearly 1,200 emergency calls in 24 hours.
The service, which took more than 500 999 calls last night, said it has rescued more than 120 people.
As people battle to get to work, the fire service is warning them not to put themselves at risk by entering flood water either by car or foot.
UPDATE:
— South Yorkshire Fire (@SYFR) November 8, 2019
Our 999 Control operators have taken nearly 1️⃣,2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ emergency calls in the last 24 hours.
We've rescued more than 1️⃣2️⃣0️⃣ people.
For travel updates follow @TSYalerts
And pease, please DO NOT enter flood water- either by car or on foot. pic.twitter.com/4n2Y7Uk1pA
Big shout out to our 999 Control operators who continue to offer a brilliant service to the people of South Yorkshire.
— South Yorkshire Fire (@SYFR) November 8, 2019
They took more than 5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ emergency calls last night- and are continuing their work to mobilise our resources today where they are needed. pic.twitter.com/p7LsS2bnOH
Updated
Here’s some pictures of the trail of devastation left behind by rainfall last night. In Rotherham, abandoned vehicles sit submerged in water in a car park.
A member of the fire and rescue service wades through flood water as he escorts a JCB towing an truck along a flooded road in the town.
Meanwhile, a smart car appears not to have made it to the gates of a warehouse because of rising waters.
In Sheffield, a lorry struggles to drive through flood water near Meadowhall shopping centre, where people were trapped overnight because of the weather.
Updated
More rainfall in Derbyshire in 24 hours than area normally gets in a month
Derbyshire was hit with more rainfall in 24 hours than it normally receives in a single month, the Guardian has confirmed.
The Environment Agency’s gauge in Glossop, a market town on the edge of the Peak District, recorded 114mm of rain in the 24 hours up to 4am. Derbyshire receives an average of 90.7mm of rain for the month of November.
At local business Glossop Caravans, staff were forced to move dozens of vehicles to stop them being submerged in flood water.
Receptionist Kirstie Booth told the Guardian: “The motorhomes were all moved on the main site. They had to be put on the top car park. The water was really deep. It’s cleared up a lot now, we’re still clearing up all the mud and leaves that it’s left behind.
“There’s still a bit of a stream coming down off the top fields but it’s not as bad as it was yesterday. I know someone came in and said it was nearly up to their knees at one point on the main road.”
Updated
Good news for those affected by the flooding as the Met Office says rainfall is due to ease off today with little or none across the Midlands and north, bar the odd isolated shower.
Tomorrow a weather front will move from Wales towards the east of England but it will fizzle out by the evening.
The Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge told the Guardian: “It may linger a little bit over the Midlands, I would be looking at Oxfordshire, Warwickshire. But we’re not expecting significant rainfall. As of the moment, there’s no plans to issue any warnings for that.”
Updated
Schoolchildren were forced to wade through freezing knee-high floodwater to get home yesterday in Sheffield after their bus was forced to stop because of the weather.
Daniel Harrison, 12, was among children told to leave school early at 2pm on Thursday because of the flooding but says he and classmates had to walk because their bus could go no further.
“The water was up to my knees,” Daniel recalled, as he waited to catch a different bus this morning to get to school. Speaking to PA Media, he added: “I had to get home straight away because the water was absolutely freezing. The river had completely opened and all the water had flooded on to the road, it was terrible.
“You don’t want to be in that water but there was no choice – you had to go through it to get home.”
Updated
Villagers in South Yorkshire have described how they suffered “almost biblical” amounts of rainfall overnight.
Kathleen Overton, a Post Office worker in Toll Bar, a village near Doncaster, told PA Media: “It must have started at around 9am yesterday when I was taking my grandson to school, and then it just didn’t stop. At one point the water was coming right over my doorstep, and my daughters and I were worrying that it was going to come into the house.”
The village was also hit by severe flooding in June 2007.
Overton, 61, added: “People’s cars were getting submerged in the water, gardens were ruined, you couldn’t drive anywhere. It was carnage.”
Roy Kerr, 71, said the situation could have been far worse were it not for the help of young volunteers who put down sandbags and pumped out water. He said: “It wasn’t as bad as it was in 2007, but it easily could have been if it wasn’t for those lads.”
Updated
In Derbyshire, locals are bucketing water out of their cars this morning. The BBC’s Heidi Booth reports from Darley Dale:
Residents are bucketing water out of their cars in Daley Dale this morning. Properties and businesses are also affected. More on @BBCDerby throughout the morning. #flooding #Derbyshire pic.twitter.com/KslJiZFtyt
— Heidi Booth (@HeidiBooth90) November 8, 2019
Footage shows cars submerged and a Premier Inn sign peeking out from the waters:
Live in Darley Dale this morning, the A6 here is inpassable and it seems like the water is rising. #floods #Derbyshire @BBCDerby pic.twitter.com/AKz3XGNETA
— Heidi Booth (@HeidiBooth90) November 8, 2019
The carpark at @premierinn in Darley Dale is completely submerged as well. @BBCDerby pic.twitter.com/iMbrdUVVeE
— Heidi Booth (@HeidiBooth90) November 8, 2019
Updated
The flooding has also devastated farmers’ livelihoods as they wake up to find their fields submerged in water.
Andrew Ward, a farmer in Lincolnshire, which has also been hit by heavy rainfall, tweeted footage of rain covered fields this morning. He wrote: “We’ve had wet periods but never as much as this and at this time of year. Situation is dire. The river is to the top, dykes can’t empty so field drains not working. A lot of worried farmers in this area.”
Another 30mm yesterday and this is the result. In the last 6 weeks we’ve had the amount of rain we usually get in 6 months. Not 1 acre planted and not looking too hopeful apart from on the Heath eventually. pic.twitter.com/PIrkRMvjrj
— Andrew Ward 🇬🇧🚜 🥛🥩 (@wheat_daddy) November 8, 2019
He added: “Another 30mm yesterday and this is the result. In the last six weeks we’ve had the amount of rain we usually get in six months. Not one acre planted and not looking too hopeful.”
Another 30mm yesterday and this is the result. In the last 6 weeks we’ve had the amount of rain we usually get in 6 months. Not 1 acre planted and not looking too hopeful apart from on the Heath eventually. pic.twitter.com/PIrkRMvjrj
— Andrew Ward 🇬🇧🚜 🥛🥩 (@wheat_daddy) November 8, 2019
Another farmer, Jono Dixon, in east Yorkshire, said his land had received 44mm of rainfall in 24 hours. He wrote: “After the gloom of yesterday, wake-up sun is shining. However, not for long as the gloomy clouds are gathering again.”
20:30 last night to 08:30 this morning 16mm total in 24hrs 44mm. After the gloom of yesterday, wake up sun is shining however not for long as the gloomy clouds are gathering again..Your video is shocking Wardy, thats going to take weeks to recede and months to get it drilled. pic.twitter.com/Vp3JWJwD4J
— Jono Dixon (JD)🌾🚜🥛🥓🍗🥛🌾🚜 (@sunkfarmer) November 8, 2019
Updated
Teenager takes refuge from floods overnight in shopping centre
Stranded shoppers who were forced to camp out for the night had to buy spare clothes from Primark as they sheltered from the floods.
Saskia Hazelwood, 17, a student from Doncaster, who was among those trapped in Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping centre until 7am, told how she took refuge on sofas in M&S.
Her father tried to reach the shopping centre by car to rescue her but had to turn back because of the flood water. Hazelwood says shoppers were provided with free refreshments throughout the night but complained it was “not enough”.
She told PA news agency: “When we got to Meadowhall it was very hectic and we heard about the flooding and saw the river about to burst. Our trains were then cancelled so we went to get food, then spoke to the police and security and they told us it was unsafe to leave and there was no way of getting in or out.
“So we instantly started panicking and, when we found out there was no way of getting home, we went into Primark and all bought spare clothes and we bought food and drinks to keep us going throughout the night.
“We were in M&S for a while on the sofas until they closed the store, and we were then moved to the Oasis food quarter. We were there until 7am.”
Meanwhile, a photojournalist tweeted footage of river flood defences being breached near Meadowhall last night:
River now breached the flood defences near Meadowhall pic.twitter.com/hcSWlX5Cc8
— Tom PressPhotog (@TomPressPhotog) November 7, 2019
Hazelwood added: “We were provided with free refreshments throughout the night and morning but it was certainly not enough.
“We had to basically camp out in the food area until they finally got a taxi to us at 7am. None of us had slept for over 24 hours. We were very tired, stressed and, of course, our families were panicking and kept keeping in touch.
“My dad even tried driving to us around 11.30pm but, because the centre was gridlocked and also flooded and shut off, he wasn’t able to get to us and so he had to turn around and go home.
“At the start we thought it would be fun, a nice sleepover, something to certainly remember, but after 14 hours of being stranded in Meadowhall we just couldn’t wait to get home, get into our own beds, feel safe again, and catch up on sleep.”
Updated
My colleague, Rachel Obordo, the Guardian’s community editor, wants to hear from you. If you have been affected by the flooding in Yorkshire and the Midlands and would like to share your experiences and weather-related travel problems, then please do so via the Guardian’s form here. It is encrypted and your responses are seen only by the Guardian. You can also contact us via WhatsApp by clicking here or adding the contact +44(0)7867825056.
Though we’d like to hear from you, your safety and security is most important. When responding and particularly if taking photographs or video please make sure you put your safety and the safety of others first. Bad weather can be unpredictable and carries very real risks.
Updated
Sky’s Steph Oliver has made it through flood water to assess the scene this morning in Rotherham’s town centre:
This is the current scene in Rotherham town centre. #Flooding pic.twitter.com/wgthhfZBcd
— Steph Oliver (@stepholiverSky) November 8, 2019
A determined lone commuter wades through waist-high flood water with his bike. Asked if he was cold, he replied that his bike will keep him warm.
Just witnessed a cyclist wading through waist deep floodwater in Rotherham carrying his bike. I asked him if he was cold and he replied his bike will keep warm. #Flooding #Rotherham pic.twitter.com/q7nWAJPRTZ
— Steph Oliver (@stepholiverSky) November 8, 2019
“I would have turned back if I felt the current was too strong,” Michael the cyclist tells Sky.
Michael the cyclist tells me “i would have turned back if I felt the current was too strong”. He was determined to get to work in Rotherham. #Flooding pic.twitter.com/DLY6ZGHSZF
— Steph Oliver (@stepholiverSky) November 8, 2019
The River Don is following very high near the city’s train station:
The River Don is looking very high near Rotherham Central Railway Station. #Flooding pic.twitter.com/5rdcdJxcpW
— Steph Oliver (@stepholiverSky) November 8, 2019
Updated
More from the trapped shoppers last night as 12-year-old Dakota Hallam tells a reporter how she was stuck at Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield.
The schoolgirl told LBC yesterday: “I don’t know how long but we’ve been here absolutely ages.”
She added: “We’ve asked Greggs [the shop] if they were going to stay overnight and they’re staying overnight so we might as well.”
Dakota Hallam, 12, is inside Meadowhall Shopping Centre and told LBC News she doesn't know how long they will inside and suggested: "We could go get our pyjamas from Primark" pic.twitter.com/DOq1901o8g
— LBC News (@LBCNews) November 7, 2019
Meanwhile, Hannah Crossley, who was also trapped at the shopping centre, tweeted this video that apparently showed the scene outside Meadowhall last night:
All trains are now cancelled... we could may be here at Meadowhall for the night🥺 pic.twitter.com/koLAXCmKFX
— Hannah Crossley (@Spannaarr_95) November 7, 2019
She later tweeted that she had made it home:
We are home safe finally 🙏
— Hannah Crossley (@Spannaarr_95) November 7, 2019
Meadowhall, which says it is reopening at 10am this morning, said at 10.46pm last night that the “majority of customers left the building” but that there were “a small number of people who have chosen to stay with us for now”.
(1/2) Whilst the road networks have been severely affected by the floods, our centre remains dry and secure. The majority of customers left the building before the centre officially closed at 10pm but there are a small number of people who have chosen to stay with us for now.
— Meadowhall (@LoveMeadowhall) November 7, 2019
Updated
Transport chaos prompted by flooding as train services hit
Flooding has sparked huge transport disruption today, leaving thousands of commuters facing a battle to get to work.
Train operators are warning passengers not to travel on a series of routes through Yorkshire – particularly in the Sheffield area – and between Hebden Bridge and Rochdale in the north-west.
Network Rail, which owns Britain’s rail infrastructure, said track inspections would take place “where possible”.
Northern rail warned disruption could continue into the weekend despite the weather improving in many areas. The company has issued an update on blocked lines:
TRAVEL UPDATE: Due to heavy rain flooding the railway some lines are blocked. pic.twitter.com/SsppdoVuMd
— Northern (@northernassist) November 8, 2019
A spokesman told PA Media: “We are still advising customers on several routes not to travel as flooding is making rail and road travel extremely difficult.
“Colleagues at Network Rail are inspecting the tracks and working hard to return them to normal, but at present we have no estimate as to when we will be able to operate services on the affected routes.”
Other train companies hit by the weather include CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, LNER, TransPennine Express, Transport for Wales and Virgin Trains.
Updated
The BBC weather forecaster Simon King gives a good summary of the numbers on rainfall in south Yorkshire as of 7.45am. Meanwhile, readers can view the Environment Agency’s flood warnings in their area and across the country here, which are updated constantly.
Current rainfall and #flooding in S Yorks in numbers...
— Simon King (@SimonOKing) November 8, 2019
🚨 5 severe flooding warnings on River Don*
⚠️ >100 flooding warnings*
💦 82mm of rain in Sheffield since Wed eve
☔️ 79mm Nov average for Sheffield
🗓️ 167% of average Oct rainfall for Sheffield
*numbers at 7.45am pic.twitter.com/xugmW1AeSp
And for those wondering how the weather will fare later, King tweets:
Rain will continue to ease and move to the SE today. Some showers in E Eng but elsewhere it's a much drier and sunnier day than yesterday! Another chilly day. pic.twitter.com/Bpok7e0yKC
— Simon King (@SimonOKing) November 8, 2019
Updated
One villager near Sheffield described how he had a sea of water across his carpets in his home this morning following the rain – and up to four feet outside.
James Barber, who lives in the village of Whiston, near Sheffield in south Yorkshire, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “This morning it seems to have subsided quite a bit. It got to its peak at around two o’clock this morning. In our house it got to about seven inches or so in the lower levels.”
Asked if he had a sea of water across his floors and carpets, he replied: “Yes, absolutely,” adding: “But outside, in the yard, in the drive, it got to about four feet.”
He continued: “I moved my car out earlier on and I’m really glad I did because we thought that the pinnacle of it was at around three o’clock yesterday afternoon.”
An emergency contractor from Streets Ahead, which has been helping local residents overnight, also told the programme: “We’ve got teams our there. They’ve been supporting members of the public providing sandbags. We’ve been taking people out of their cars that’ve been flooded, trying to remove those flood waters from roads to allow people to commute through the city.”
Updated
The prime minister, Boris Johnson, has tweeted about the floods this morning:
Awful to see the terrible flooding across the North of England. Thank you to the emergency staff & volunteers helping families through this difficult time. Pls follow @metoffice for updates in your area or call the flood hotline: 0345 988 1188.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 8, 2019
Sheffield city council has issued an update on road closures as of 7am. Rotherham council did the same last night at 1.55am.
Good Morning! There's plenty of traffic disruption after yesterday's flooding with many roads closed and public transport disruptions.
— SheffieldCityCouncil (@SheffCouncil) November 8, 2019
Check our site for updates on road closures:https://t.co/DbgWgqY2Pp
Meanwhile, Derbyshire olice have issued a warning about motorists driving in flood water:
Widespread flooding is affecting roads around Derbyshire with large numbers of road closures in place. Areas currrently affected are Matlock, N.E Derbyshire, High Peak and Derwent Valley. Do not drive into flood water. The roads currently closed are…
— Derbyshire Police (@DerbysPolice) November 8, 2019
Updated
Nearly a month’s worth of rainfall has fallen in Sheffield in 24 hours, according to the Met Office.
The forecaster told the Guardian 75.6mm of rain fell in the city up to 6am this morning, compared with a monthly average for the whole of November in Yorkshire of 89.7mm.
Five severe flood warnings remain in place, 117 flood warnings and 121 flood alerts.
The Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: “Over the last 24 hours it’s been a very wet. It’s come after a wetter than average October so it’s almost been the worst possible combination for Sheffield.
“It’s been a very wet autumn and yesterday was extremely wet, almost a month’s worth of rain falling in 24 hours over an urban area. It’s never a good combination. That’s why we are seeing the flooding across parts of Sheffield.”
Updated
Good morning, folks. Simon Murphy here, I’ll be liveblogging the latest developments in Yorkshire and the Midlands, where torrential rain has caused flooding that has led to chaos overnight. Hundreds of shoppers were trapped in shopping centres in both Sheffield and Rotherham.
Many homes have been forced to evacuate and 116 flood warnings remain in place, the majority of them in Yorkshire.
The Met Office predicts flooding rains will clear, moving south-east by lunchtime. But, as the clean-up operation begins, flood warnings are expected to remain in place for several days.
Updated
