Storm Babet: Environment Agency issues flood warning for Yorkshire as Storm Babet set to hit York, Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Sheffield and Middlesbrough.

Yellow, amber and even red weather warnings are currently in place across the UK with heavy winds, rain and floods expected. The western side of Yorkshire, from north to south, is under an amber warning for rain, while the East Riding and the coastal areas have been issued with yellow weather warnings.

Now, the Environment Agency said the storm is set to bring inland flooding to Yorkshire and has issued a warning for residents. It has also advised people to stay away from swollen rivers and to not drive through flood water.

Ben Lukey, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: "Persistent and heavy rain brought by a combination of Storm Babet and following weather systems means significant inland flooding is likely across parts of the North East and Yorkshire from Thursday through to Saturday, while, at the same time, flooding is also possible across other parts of the North, East Anglia and the South East.

“Environment Agency teams will be out on the ground, undertaking preparatory operational activity to minimise the impacts of flooding where possible. We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and urge people not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car. 

“People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation at https://www.gov.uk/check-if-youre-at-risk-of-flooding and follow @EnvAgency on X, formerly known as Twitter, for the latest flood updates.”