A powerful storm named Babet has caused havoc across the United Kingdom and northern Europe, resulting in the deaths of at least four individuals. Derbyshire Police announced that a woman in her 80s was found dead at her home in Chesterfield, central England, with her death being linked to the flooding in the area. This comes as the River Derwent in nearby Derby reached its highest-ever recorded level on Saturday, following heavy rain that caused 8 inches (200 mm) of precipitation in certain parts of Britain.

Incredibly normal scenes here in the northeast of England as Storm Babet knocks the top off the South Shields lighthouse, which has been weathering storms since 1895.

A climate scientist was heard murmuring something about Earth Energy Imbalance…but meh. pic.twitter.com/vaf1RkynPl

— Jack Lowe (@MrJackLowe) October 20, 2023

Since Thursday, five people have lost their lives as a result of the storm. In addition to the woman in Chesterfield, a man and a woman were swept away by floodwaters, and another man tragically died when a tree fell on his vehicle. Germany also suffered a casualty, as a 33-year-old woman was killed when a tree toppled onto her car on the Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn. Authorities in Scotland also reported a man trapped in a vehicle in floodwater, with a search still ongoing for his safe rescue. Scotland experienced severe flooding, with the town of Brechin being one of the worst hit areas.

Over 300 homes were evacuated as the River South Esk breached its banks, causing water to surge almost 13 feet (4 meters) above its usual level and flood the streets. In addition, coast guard helicopters were forced to evacuate over half the staff from a North Sea oil platform, located almost 150 miles (240 kilometers) east of Scotland. The platform, named Stena Spey, had four of its eight anchors come loose during the storm.

Although the weather has calmed down, the aftermath of the storm continues to wreak havoc on transportation systems. Flooding has disrupted roads and railways across a large part of central and northern Britain. The Environment Agency issued more than 200 flood warnings for parts of England and warned that major rivers could remain flooded until Tuesday. The storm, characterized by gale-force winds, torrential rain, and sea surges, has affected not only Britain but also Northern Germany and southern Scandinavia. Its impact has resulted in tragedy and devastation, leaving communities reeling from the destruction caused by the extreme weather conditions.