Storm Babet news LIVE: UK weather latest as London stations flood, six inches of rain falls, Scottish towns are evacuated and woman, 57, is swept to her death

Councillor Jill Scott, who lives in Brechin, Angus, said the floods are ‘horrific’ with people trapped and hundreds of homes flooded.

She said one family contacted her around 5am after having to leave their ground floor flat in Nursery Park when it flooded. They are currently trapped in the hallway upstairs and are huddling together for warmth, she said.

Ms Scott, who represents the Brechin and Edzell ward on Angus Council as an independent, said the family of three, including a woman in her 60s, her son and grandson, are currently unable to be rescued due to the force of the floodwater.

She said: ‘It’s all white water running round there. It’s like a river.’

Gigantic waves from Stom Babet are battering the Heugh Breakwater at Hartlepool in County Durham this morning, as these photographs from Tom Collins reveal:

LNER has said there will be no services operating north of Edinburgh today, and a ‘do not travel’ message is in place for this part of the route.

It has added that ticket restrictions have been lifted for customers travelling to or from Edinburgh today, so they can travel on the first available LNER service:

AA patrol of the year Nick Powell said it is ‘very likely trees and debris will be littering the roads’.

He went on: ‘Drivers should be very cautious, especially in rural or woody areas. If you see twigs or small branches on the road it could be a sign that a tree has fallen just around the bend, so pay extra attention to the path up ahead.

‘As always in wet and windy weather, leave plenty of space behind other vehicles and adjust your speed to suit the conditions, especially when crossing bridges or passing high-sided vehicles.

‘There may be traffic delays so make sure you bring essentials with you on your journey, even if it is only short, such as warm layers, a hot drink and a fully charged mobile phone.’

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said the weather is making driving challenging.

He said: ‘The exceptional amount of rain being brought in by Storm Babet means conditions on the roads are proving extremely difficult.

‘We urge drivers to heed the warnings, especially where flooding has already happened or is likely over the next few days. Drivers should never attempt to drive through floodwater as the risks are just too great.

‘The disruption to rail services also means more people will take to their cars, making spray and surface water on the roads even more of a problem.

‘It’s vital anyone who absolutely has to travel prepares themselves for a longer journey, or considers waiting until the storm has passed before making it.’

ITV meterologist Laura Tobin has just posted a video showing how the volume of water that fell across Scotland yesterday is the equivalent of 1.6million Olympic-size swimming pools:

Avanti West Coast has just warned that flooding between Crewe and Chester has resulted in all lines becoming blocked.

It said train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or diverted.

Merseyrail has just posted a photo of flooding at Hooton, which has led to the suspension of services between Rock Ferry and Chester/Ellesmere Port today:

Strong waves are hitting seaside towns along the eastern coast of Britain today, with waves pictured crashing over the promenade at Scarborough in North Yorkshire.

The second picture shows the ‘Freddie Gilroy’ sculpture by artist Ray Lonsdale:

Durham County Council has warned of ‘extremely difficult’ conditions for its bin crews today amid the heavy rain and strong winds brought by Storm Babet:

East Midlands Railway has just said a tree is blocking the line at Wingfield, which is affecting services on its mainline route from Sheffield to London St Pancras.

Revellers also enjoyed a night out in Leeds yesterday despite Storm Babet bringing miserable conditions to the city centre:

Students in Newcastle were determined not to let Storm Babet ruin their evening as they flocked to the city’s pubs and bars in fancy dress costume last night.

Read the full story and see all the photographs in this story on MailOnline:

Heavy rain and strong winds from Storm Babet are causing major transport disruption.

In Scotland, several major road sections and rail routes are closed, while air passengers are being hit by flight cancellations.

Traffic Scotland said flooding has forced the closure of the A85 at Huntingtower near Perth and the A90 between Myrekirk and Swallow roundabouts, Dundee.

The A9 Jubilee Bridge near Dunkeld, Perthshire is shut due to adverse weather conditions, while fallen trees are blocking the A90 between Ellon and Bogbrae, Aberdeenshire; and the A7 at Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway.

Drivers are also being advised to take care when crossing several bridges in Scotland, including the A898 Erskine Bridge, West Dunbartonshire; the M90 Queensferry Crossing between Edinburgh and Fife; and the A87 Skye Bridge.

ScotRail said train services remain suspended on several routes in north and north-east Scotland.

No trains are running between Aberdeen and Elgin; Edinburgh and Aberdeen via Fife; Perth and Aberdeen via Dundee; Dunblane and Perth; Perth and Aviemore; and Tain and Wick/Thurso.

All Fife Circle services are also suspended, impacting services between Glasgow Queen Street and Aberdeen/Inverness; and Edinburgh Waverley and Aberdeen/Inverness.

National Highways said the A15 Humber Bridge between North Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire is closed in both directions to ‘high-sided and vulnerable vehicles’ due to strong winds. Diversion routes have been created.

Nine departures and seven arrivals were cancelled at Aberdeen Airport today. Dozens of flights were axed yesterday.

Scottish regional airline Loganair has cancelled dozens of flights due to the weather.

Huge waves are crashing into parts of North East England this morning – including at Hartlepool in County Durham, pictured here:

Flooding is affecting roads across London today, including this route under a bridge in Wimbledon which motorists and cyclists were still trying to pass through:

Angus Council also posted on social media about the extent the flood defences had breached in the town of Brechin.

‘It has been a very challenging night, Brechin defences were breached around 04:00 this morning and the river levels are around 4.4m above normal levels. This is completely unprecedented and at these heights, gauges have become unreliable.

‘We completely understand that it is very hard to leave your home but parts of Brechin, and increasingly other parts of Angus, are now only accessible via boat.

‘Rescue crews are now dealing with around 100 calls from areas which were asked to evacuate yesterday evening.’

The council urged anyone at risk of flooding to evacuate as soon as possible. Three rest centres have been set up nearby for those who need to leave.

While Storm Babet has had a severe impact on parts of Scotland, those in other parts of the country have joked that the damage has been minimal:

Nitya Rajan, a correspondent for ITV’s Good Morning Britain, has posted a video of huge waves crashing into the North East coast at Whitley Bay this morning:

Angus Council has revealed that parts of flood-hit Brechin and other regions of the local authority area are ‘now only accessible via boat’.

Andrew Batchelor, who runs Dundee Culture – a platform which showcases the achievements, culture and heritage of Dundee – said his car was hit by a branch on his way home from Edinburgh Airport.

‘We just arrived home from Ibiza and the flight was delayed due to operational problems and of course the weather,’ the 23-year-old who lives in Dundee said.

‘When we were heading towards Perth, a branch struck our car, fortunately nothing was damaged but you could hear the wind and rain banging on the car as we headed home.’

Here is a video of the conditions Mr Batchelor experienced while driving home:

Severe flooding is also now affecting Merseyrail services, with trains from Rock Ferry to Chester/Ellesmere Port suspended. Replacement buses could run later.

The Met Office red weather warning began at 6pm last night and was expanded yesterday to include Dundee, Perth and Kinross, as well as Angus and Aberdeenshire. It will run until midday today:

Aberdeenshire Council has issued instructions to residents who may have to evacuate.

A spokesperson said: ‘If the police, council or other emergency services, ask you to leave your home turn off the electricity and water supply at the main switch and take your grab bag with you.

‘If you have to evacuate your home, it will make things a lot easier if you have prepared a ‘Grab Bag’ in advance containing a packing list to follow should you need to use it.’

Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire – which is within the red warning area – has been battered by Storm Babet, with sea foam pictured on the streets this morning:

England now has 24 flood warnings and 121 flood alerts in place as Storm Babet continues to cause chaos, according to ITV meterologist Laura Tobin:

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Flooding at Kew Gardens and Victoria on the London Underground closed both stations this morning. But TfL has now confirmed that both have since reopened.

Some of the biggest waves so far have been seen at Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire.

Paddleboarding instructor David Jacobs, 56, said he saw waves around 20ft high in the town yesterday (pictured below) – and expects it to be worse today.

Mr Jacobs said: ‘The waves were about 20ft, or seven metres.

‘The last time I have seen weather like this was 2014, it is quite spectacular to watch but bits of trees and rocks land onto the road. It worries me for other people.’

Angus Council has issued an urgent update on Storm Babet, saying the area is ‘in the middle of a very serious emergency’ and the ‘flooding is unprecedented’.

The local authority said in a post on Facebook: ‘DO NOT TRAVEL! If you think you have an appointment, you don’t! If you REALLY think you need to get to work, check with your boss. If you’re a boss, PLEASE consider your employees and the need for them to attend work.’

First Minister Humza Yousaf has issued a warning that the ‘situation will worsen as rainfall continues’ and said conditions were particularly dangerous in Brechin:

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has now issued five severe flood warnings – including a new one for Kinnaird/Bridge of Don north of Aberdeen.

It has warned that river levels could reach an ‘unprecedented’ five metres above normal levels.

Sepa added that the villages of Logie Mill and Craigo to places at risk of severe flooding in Angus, as well as Brechin and nearby Finavon and Tannadice, while the village of Marykirk in Aberdeenshire was put on high alert.

Water monitoring data for the South Esk at Brechin shows it is currently at 3.8m – the flood defences’ maximum capacity. Here is a graphic showing the level from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa):

Laura Tobin, the meteorologist on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, has brought this latest update as Storm Babet continues to cause havoc with heavy rain and strong winds:

A video filmed in Brechin, Angus, appears to show the river has spilled over defences overnight and is now causing major flooding.

It comes after efforts were made to convince residents of Brechin to evacuate 400 homes, with the coastguard and fire crews going door-to-door after some people refused to leave.

National Highways says the A15 Humber Bridge between North Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire has been closed in both directions to ‘high-sided and vulnerable vehicles’ due to strong winds. Diversion routes have been created.

ScotRail said train services remain suspended on several routes in north and north-east Scotland.

They are suspended between Aberdeen and Elgin; Edinburgh and Aberdeen via Fife; Perth and Aberdeen via Dundee; Dunblane and Perth; Perth and Aviemore; and Tain and Wick/Thurso.

All Fife Circle services are also suspended, impacting services between Glasgow Queen Street and Aberdeen/Inverness; and Edinburgh Waverley and Aberdeen/Inverness.

Several sections of major Scottish roads are closed due to Storm Babet. Traffic Scotland said these road sections are closed:

• The A85 at Huntingtower near Perth due to flooding.
• The A9 Jubilee Bridge near Dunkeld, Perthshire due to adverse ‘weather conditions’.
• The A90 between Myrekirk and Swallow Roundabouts, Dundee due to flooding.
• The A90 between Ellon and Bogbrae, Aberdeenshire due to a fallen tree.
• The A7 in both directions at Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway due to a fallen tree.

Drivers were advised to take care when crossing several bridges, including:

• A898 Erskine Bridge, West Dunbartonshire
• M90 Queensferry Crossing between Edinburgh and Fife
• A87 Skye Bridge

A river in Perth and Kinross tripled in height in 12 hours, according to realtime data from RiverTrack.

Alyth Burn, Alyth, Perth and Kinross, rose to 1447mm by 12.09am. At 8.09am on Thursday, it measured 413mm.

A rescue centre was set up at Alyth for people to go if they needed to seek refuge.

The A90 was closed between Dundee and Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, due to the Sepa flood warning.

Flooding is also affecting motorists on the other side of the capital at Greenwich this morning, where vehicles have been photographed creating a large splash:

Flooding has started to affect parts of London overnight, with vehicles photographed ploughing through floodwater at Brent Cross this morning:

Flooding is also affecting Northern rail services between Sheffield and Lincoln as well as between Leeds and Harrogate this morning:

Away from Scotland, Great Western Railway (GWR) has revealed that lines are blocked due to heavy rain flooding the railway at Swindon in Wiltshire.

Train services between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads may be cancelled, delayed or diverted until 10am.

Train lines between Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen are being badly affected by severe weather, and ScotRail has confirmed these routes are suspended:

• Between Edinburgh and Glenrothes with Thornton / Cowdenbeath / Perth / Aberdeen via Fife / Elgin
• Between Glasgow Queen Street and Perth / Dundee / Aberdeen / Inverness / Oban
• Between Stonehaven / Aberdeen and Inverness (trains are shuttling between Inverness and Elgin only)
• Between Dundee / Huntly and Aberdeen
• Between Inverness and Wick

The following issues have also been reported in Scotland:

• Edinburgh – Dunblane: Speed restrictions mean trains are being delayed
• Glasgow Central – Gourock: Failure of the electricity means lines are closed

Caledonian Sleeper said services tonight between Aberdeen / Fort William / Inverness and London Euston (in both directions) have been cancelled. Services between Glasgow / Edinburgh and London Euston are set to be running as scheduled but may arrive later than planned due to speed restrictions.

CrossCountry said services will terminate at Edinburgh, not running north towards Aberdeen or west towards Glasgow Central. No alternative transport is available. Delays are expected between Newcastle and Edinburgh due to speed restrictions.

LNER said there will be no services operating north of Edinburgh today, and a ‘do not travel’ message is in place for this part of the route.

More than 20,000 homes lost power during Storm Babet, according to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), predominantly in Aberdeenshire and Angus.

By 9pm last night, SSEN said it had restored services to almost 18,500 homes. We await a further update this morning.

The Met Office says the highest amount of rainfall recorded since the start of yesterday has been 164mm (6.4in) at Waterside Perth in Scotland.

But this is still way off the record, after some 238mm of rain was measured at Sloy Main Adit in Argyll & Bute between 9am on January 17, 1974 and 9am the following day.

This is the highest total on record in Scotland for what the Met Office calls a ‘rainfall day’: the 24 hours from 9am to 9am.

The highest equivalent total recorded in England is 279mm, on July 18, 1955 at Martinstown in Dorset, while the highest in Wales is 211mm, on November 11, 1929 at Lluest Wen Reservoir in Mid Glamorgan.

The highest in Northern Ireland is 159mm, recorded on October 31, 1968 at Tollymore Forest in County Down.

The highest total for any 24-hour period in the UK is 341.4mm, recorded from 6pm December 4, 2015 to 6pm the following day at Honister Pass in Cumbria.

The Met Office issued a new rain warning for London yesterday evening, running until 9am this morning. It warns of up to 50mm (2in) of rain. Here is the map:

Network Rail Scotland has asked people living near railway lines to ensure tents, trampolines and garden furniture are secure so they don’t blow on to the tracks:

The Met Office has just confirmed that the highest amount of rainfall recorded since the start of yesterday has been 164mm (6.4in) at Waterside Perth.

Scotland typically receives around 168mm of rainfall in October, so that means the country has received more than this amount in the span of 31 hours.

The body of a 57-year-old woman was recovered yesterday from a river at Glen Esk in Angus, where a red weather alert is in place.

Police Scotland were called to the Water of Lee at Glen Esk at 1.45pm after she was swept into the river, and the body was found at 4pm. A spokesperson added: ‘There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.’

The Met Office has released a map showing how heavy rain and strong winds are impacting Britain this morning as weather warnings remain in place:

Transport for London says two Underground stations were impacted by flooding this morning – Kew Gardens and Victoria, which are both on the District line:

National Rail has warned passengers to expect ‘severe impacts’ on services due to Storm Babet until tomorrow after red and amber weather warnings were issued.

Follow MailOnline throughout today for updates on how the storm is affecting travel.

We’ll start with a look at our top story today, with Storm Babet now turning its fury on England after battering much of Scotland.

More than an inch (25.4mm) of rain fell on parts of England overnight and motorways were left with standing water. Here is the full story on MailOnline:

Good morning, and welcome to MailOnline’s latest Storm Babet liveblog today as the UK braces for further chaos after a day of 70mph winds and heavy rainfall.

Much of country is covered by weather warnings – with a rare red ‘danger to life’ alert in place for parts of North East Scotland, where a 57-year-old woman was swept to her death yesterday.

Follow MailOnline’s liveblog throughout today for all the latest updates.