Nottinghamshire County Council declared a major incident as the River Idle reached record levels, and further rain has raised concerns about ongoing flooding. While five severe flood warnings were lifted, areas along the River Severn are expected to be affected, and the Environment Agency warns of widespread flooding in the Midlands and the North of England.
In addition to the flooding's toll, a woman in her 80s, Maureen Gilbert, tragically died in Chesterfield due to flooding, with investigations ongoing. Three other people have died since Storm Babet hit, including one person in Shropshire and two in Scotland. Police Scotland continues to search for an unnamed driver reported to be trapped in a vehicle near Marykirk, Aberdeenshire.
Experts attribute extreme flooding events to climate change, though many factors contribute to flooding, and it takes time for scientists to assess the specific impact of climate change on individual weather events. The world's temperatures have already risen by approximately 1.1°C since the industrial era began, with further increases expected unless significant emissions reductions occur.