UK weather: Woman dies after being swept away by floodwater, as more than a month of rain hits
Dozens trapped in Sheffield shopping centre overnight as traffic grinds to a halt
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world
Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email
A woman has died after being swept away by flood water in Derbyshire as parts of England were overwhelmed with a month’s worth of rain over 24 hours.
Derbyshire Police said the woman's body was recovered on Friday.
A spokesperson said: "Emergency services were called to a stretch of the River Derwent in the early hours of this morning after a woman was reported as having been swept away by flood water."
Yorkshire and the Midlands were the worst affected areas, with six severe “danger to life” warnings in place following Thursday’s torrential downpour.
Fire crews were called in to help guide people to safety, while rail and road users were warned against travelling on certain routes.
Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England
Show all 30Residents on Yarborough Terrace in Doncaster were having to be rescued from their homes by boats on Friday as waist-high water filled the street.
Parts of South Yorkshire remain most at-risk, with six severe warnings around the River Don predicting properties and roads face further flooding.
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said they rescued more than 100 stranded people on Thursday night, with around 500 calls to its control room between 10pm and 4am.
Elsewhere, around 30 people sought refuge in the Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield due to gridlocked traffic outside, as the extreme weather conditions meant those turning up for the Christmas lights switch-on were left stranded.
Parts of Yorkshire and the Midlands experienced their wettest day in years and travel disruption is expected to follow Thursday’s downpour.
Sheffield was particularly badly hit during flooding in summer 2007, which saw millions of pounds spent on prevention schemes.
Yet it again saw dramatic scenes on Thursday, with a number of roads left impassable to traffic, cars stranded in floodwater and gridlock resulting on many routes.
There were more than 30 flood warnings in place for Nottinghamshire, though none were near Sutton-in-Ashfield where Boris Johnson visited on his campaign trail on Friday.
An additional 35 homes in Mansfield were evacuated as a precaution after a mudslide in the area, while residents in around 25 homes in Worksop were also ordered to flee due to the risk of flooding.
And in Lincolnshire, the River Witham had risen so much residents said they were able to see swans swimming up to the edge of their properties.
Please allow a moment for the live blog to load...
Good morning and welcome to The Independent's live blog on the effects of the heavy rain which lashed the UK on Thursday.
Parts of England endured a month's worth of rain in a day.
An Environment Agency rain gauge showed Swineshaw in the Peak District saw 4.4in (112mm) of rain on Thursday - the highest total of anywhere across England - while flood-hit parts of Sheffield experienced 3.4in (85mm) during the same period.
The average monthly rainfall total for Yorkshire at this time of year is 3.5in (89mm).
As of Friday morning, the Environment Agency had 121 flood warnings in place, as well as three severe "danger to life" warnings relating to the River Don at Kirk Bramwith, South Bramwith and the Willow Bridge caravan site, which are all in Doncaster.
A total of 121 flood warnings were in place as well as 119 flood alerts.
There were nearly 30 flood warnings in place for Nottinghamshire, where Boris Johnson, the prime minister, is due to visit on Friday.
Parts of the UK are set to experience travel chaos following Thursday's deluge.
Northern Rail said that, due to heavy flooding, there would be "severe disruption" to their network.
They said services are currently unable to run between Sheffield and Gainsborough Central or Lincoln Central, and services between Sheffield and Leeds via Moorthorpe were suspended until further notice.
"Some places have seen a month's worth of rain in one day," Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said.
"The rain is easing and moving south but obviously the impact of that will continue to be felt."
At least 35 homes in Mansfield were evacuated as a precaution after a mudslide in the area, while residents in around 25 homes in Worksop were also ordered to flee due to the risk of flooding.
Damien West, head of prevention and protection at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, tweeted: "In Worksop with Crews who are working tirelessly to rescue a large number of people from flooded premises. A very long, cold and hard working night."
In Yorkshire, Doncaster Council told people in parts of Kirk Sandall to "evacuate immediately" at around 7am after the River Don breached its banks.
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said they rescued more than 100 stranded people on Thursday night, with around 500 calls to its control room between 10pm and 4am.
Elsewhere, around 30 people sought refuge in the Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield due to gridlocked traffic outside, as the extreme weather conditions meant those turning up for the Christmas lights switch-on were left stranded.
Doncaster Council has warned some residents to evacuate their homes because the River Don is breaching its banks near St Oswald Church at Kirk Sandall.
A resident inspects floodwater on his doorstep in Bentley, north of Doncaster (Reuters)The council tweeted: "There is a Severe Flood Warning in place for Sandal Grove, Old Kirk Sandall.
"Residents in these areas are advised to evacuate immediately."
Rail operator Northern has issued "do not travel" advice for passengers using five lines on its network hit by the deluge.
The lines involved are between Sheffield and Gainsborough, Sheffield and Lincoln, Sheffield and Goole, Hebden Bridge and Rochdale, and the line from Sheffield to Leeds via Moorthorpe.
Elsewhere, Saturday's horse-racing meeting at Doncaster has been cancelled due to a waterlogged track.
Pictures show the challenges faced by people in the areas which bore the brunt of the flooding:
Emergency responders ferry people to safety on the A633 by Rotherham, South Yorkshire (Reuters)
A resident carries a dog to safety on Yarborough Terrace in Doncaster, South Yorkshire (Press Association)
Torrential rain led to a mudslide in Mansfield, forcing the evacuation of residents along Bank End Close (Simon Cooper/PA)
At least 10 houses were flooded in the village of Whiston in Rotherham and several cars were left partially submerged by surging water which looked like a “log flume ride”, locals said.
Tony Griffin, a parish councillor, told The Independent: "It will have been a very close thing for a number of people. There's a lot of sandbags outside various properties.
"I've been past a couple of houses this morning where people are looking despondently at where their ground floors have been inundated with water."
Describing how the water coursed down a walled path next to a small river, he said: "The water was rushing down, it looked like something like the end of a log flume ride.
"I think there was some seepage into the row of houses there. There will be a number of other houses that have cellars that will be affected."
Mr Griffin said most people came together "with a Dunkirk spirit" and offered help as they checked in on each other.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies