Homes are at risk of flooding, travel is disrupted and attractions have closed as rain affects the Harrogate district. Follow our live blog for Storm Babet updates.
Please send storm news from your area to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk
6.10pm: RSPCA urges pet owners to keep animals safe
RSPCA water rescue teams are on standby.
RSPCA inspectorate commissioner Dermot Murphy said:
“In areas affected by flooding owners should be looking to bring small animals inside and move them upstairs, while livestock should be taken up to higher ground with enough emergency supplies for their needs. If householders do have to leave animals behind when they evacuate properties then they should keep them inside an upstairs room with plenty of food and water.
“Wild animals can also struggle in stormy weather but people can help them too. For example, they could leave some extra food out for hungry birds above ground level and perhaps even provide shelter for ground-nesting birds.”
5.48pm: Patio flooding in Killinghall
Reader Simon Beckett has sent us this photo of his patio in Killinghall, where standing water is beginning to accumulate.
If you have photos showing the impact of the storm please send them to us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk
5.18pm: Northern warns of ‘ongoing disruption’ on trains
Rail operator Northern has urged people to check here for service updates before setting off.
4.51pm: Environment Agency warns of more flood warnings
The Environment Agency has just issued a press release saying more flood warnings are expected to be issued, including in Yorkshire in the next 24 hours.
It says:
People are being urged to prepare for the risk of significant flooding for the rest of this week. The public should sign up to flood warnings and check the latest safety as heavy downpours are likely to fall on saturated ground.
Mike Dugher, Yorkshire area director at the Environment Agency, said:
“Persistent and heavy rain brought by a combination of Storm Babet and following weather systems means significant river flooding is possible across Yorkshire today and into Saturday.
“We have flood alerts and warnings in place across Yorkshire and do expect more to come into place over the next 24 hours.
“We would urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water – as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car. ”
4.16pm: Don’t visit the coast, urges North Yorkshire Council
In case you were thinking of heading to Scarborough, North Yorkshire Council has issued a press release advising against it.
Marine Drive was closed today due to overlapping seawater and street furniture being blown around in high winds.
A decision has also been made to cancel this evening’s two shows at Scarborough Spa as Spa Road will be closed due to the risk of overtopping. The cliff lift is also out of action because of the high winds.
3.45pm: Plane skids off runway at Leeds Bradford Airport
Emergency services are at the scene. You can read more here.
3.05pm: Persistent rain forecast until 4am
The amber weather warning for the Harrogate district is in place until 6pm tonight but the Met Office is still forecasting rain until 4am tomorrow morning followed by more intermittent lighter rain until 11am tomorrow. The sun may make an appearance on Sunday.
2.12pm: Flood warning removed for Pannal and Burn Bridge
The Environment Agency has removed its flood warning for parts of Pannal and Burn Bridge alongside the River Crimple — also known as Crimple Beck. It was issued at 4.14am. However, a less severe flood alert remains in place in the wider River Crimple catchment area.
Five other flood alerts remain active in the Harrogate district, including this one for the Middle River Nidd catchment area.
1.16pm: Mother Shipton’s to close tomorrow
Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough has posted on social media:
“Due to the ongoing extreme weather conditions, we have made the decision to close the attraction on Saturday, October 21.”
12.47pm: ‘Do not ignore road closed signs’, say firefighters
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has issued a social media post urging drivers not to drive into floodwater or ignore road closed signs. You can read more here.
11.58am: Met Office upgrades local weather warning to ‘amber’.
A yellow weather warning has been in place for the Harrogate district until tomorrow morning. But the Met Office has now upgraded to a more severe amber alert from midday until 6pm today.
It said persistent heavy rain was likely to lead to some flooding and disruption.
11.22am: Power cuts in Great Ouseburn
Northern Powergrid’s live power cuts map currently shows 52 homes in Great Ouseburn and Little Ouseburn are without power. But this appears to be the only part of the Harrogate district affected right now.
10.44am: Fountains Abbey and RHS Harlow Carr closed
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, including the deer park, are closed all day. RHS Harlow Carr announced yesterday it would close today and its autumn garden weekend had also been cancelled.
10.30am: Current flood alerts and warnings
Here is the current Environment Agency map showing flood alerts and flood warnings in the Harrogate district. You can read more about each incident here. If you live near any and can provide any updates and images email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will share the information.
10.21am: Harrogate to Leeds trains ‘returning to normal’
Rail operator Northern has posted on social media that the line between Harrogate and Leeds has reopened and services are returning to normal. The line closed due to flooding. However, Northern adds some services may still be delayed or cancelled.
10.11am: Flood alerts all along the River Nidd
The Environment Agency currently has flood alerts in place for the upper, middle and lower River Nidd. There are also alerts for the Lower River Ure at Ripon, the Lower Dunsforth Access and the River Crimple catchment. A more serious flood warning remains in place for the River Crimple at Burn Bridge and Pannal.
Anglers fear worst for fish after raw sewage leaks into river in Ripon
Anglers in Ripon are worried that three years’ work may have been flushed away following a sewage leak on the River Ure.
The local fishing club, Ripon Piscatorial Association (RPA), has been implementing a three-year programme to restock the river with fish, but a cracked pipe at the end of December sent gallons of raw sewage into the Ure at Sharow, and the club says it may have jeopardised the project.
Nathan Proctor, match secretary of the RPA, which owns about a mile of the southern river bank downstream of the ruptured pipe, said:
“Where this leak has happened is right where we’ve been putting fish in. Any fry that hatched out this last year will be struggling.
“We put some roach in the week before Christmas, and we were due to put some barbel in this month. They’re not cheap. As a club we’ve had to spend a lot of money to make sure we keep our members, but if this has killed the fish, we can’t afford another three-year restocking programme. We won’t find out how serious it is until the summer, when water levels are lower.”
Yorkshire Water said it had isolated the broken pipe, which lies five metres below ground, within 45 minutes of first being told of the problem on December 30, and that no sewage has been released from it since.
The company has been transporting sewage from the pipe in tankers to Ripon Wastewater Treatment Works while it replaces the section of pipe, but both tanking and repairs at the site on Sharow Lane have been halted in recent days by flooding.
James Thornborough, a retiree who lives nearby, said Yorkshire Water had failed to keep local residents and stakeholders notified of the dangers or developments arising from the incident.
Mr Thornborough, who was formerly world head of crisis and emergency management for oil companies including BP and Petronas, said:
“This is a textbook example of how not to respond to an emergency.
“I would grade this as a Category 2 incident according to the Environment Agency’s rating system – meaning it’s significant – and yet there’s been no joined-up response. There’s been no information shared.”
A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said:
“We have informed the Environment Agency of the situation, as required by law, but there is no mechanism in place for informing anyone else. That said, we will be in touch with the RPA.
“If there was major pollution we would of course be in contact with them anyway, but this was minor, and the impact minimal.”
Repair work on the pipe was expected before the weekend to last for a couple of weeks, but can now only resume once flood water levels have dropped enough to enable workers to access the site again.
Read more:
- Ripon sewage leak: tree felled as repair work set to last two weeks
- Sewage discharged into River Ure near Ripon after pipe leaks
- Ripon angler among 57 fined in illegal fishing clampdown
Fire service deals with stranded cars as Lower Nidd flood alert issued
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has this afternoon urged motorists to heed road closure signs after receiving reports of stranded vehicles.
The amount of water on roads is causing problems throughout the county. But some drivers are ignoring signs telling them to turn back due to flooding.
It has prompted the fire service to tweet:
“We have received reports of stranded cars due to standing water following heavy rain – even when signs are in place.
“Please remember the signs are there for a reason. Information about driving in these conditions can be found on our website.”
Three Environment Agency flood alerts are currently in place in the Harrogate district.
The government department says flooding is ‘possible’ in the Lower River Nidd catchment area and around the Lower River Ure and is ‘expected’ at the caravan park alongside the Ure at Roecliffe, near Boroughbridge.
Details of the alerts can be found here.
The River Ure has burst its banks around Ripon, which prompted one concerned passer-by to dial 999 when he mistakenly thought a statue of a horse was an animal in distress.
A flood alert for the Upper River Nidd catchment area, issued yesterday, has been removed.
Read more:
- Rain highlights concerns about state of Harrogate district drains and gullies
- Firefighters called to rescue horse in Ripon which turned out to be a sculpture
Image gallery: 72 hours of wild weather in Harrogate district
The Harrogate district has been battered by wind, snow and torrential rain during 72 hours of wild weather.
Winds started picking up at around midday on Friday when Storm Eunice arrived, uprooting trees in its wake. By Saturday afternoon the district experienced its first significant snowfall of the weekend, which caught out motorists with its severity.
But worse was to come yesterday when torrential rain caused widespread flooding, especially in low-lying areas near the River Nidd in Pateley Bridge and Knaresborough.
Today has been a day for residents and business owners to clear-up debris and salvage what they can.
Here’s a look back at the extreme weather.
Friday, February 18 – trees uprooted by Storm Eunice

A fallen tree on Beckwith Head Road.

Minutes later a tree splintered on top of the shelter on West Park Stray.

Harrogate fire crews used the aerial ladder platform to prune a tree in danger of falling in Bilton. Photograph: GM Tony Peel
Saturday, February 19 – Snow show

Traffic came to a standstill on Cheltenham Parade and Parliament Street in Harrogate.

This DPD van got stuck on the Stray on Saturday when it tried to avoid the Beech Grove road closure.
Sunday, February 20 – Flooding begins

The water gardens at Fountains Abbey were ‘devastated’ by flooding. Photograph: National Trust

Pateley Bridge High Street flooded.

This screenshot of a video taken by Charlotte Gale shows the state of the River Nidd.
Monday February 21 – The clean up commences

Most of Margaret Pearson’s garden at Nidderdale Lodge Park, Knaresborough, remains underwater after she was forced to evacuate yesterday.

The water level begins to subside on Greenwood Road in Pateley Bridge. It had risen as high as the wheelie bin lids.

Flood defences couldn’t hold back all the water at Marigolds Cafe, Knaresborough
Firefighters rescued a flock of sheep which managed to get stranded in the middle of the swollen River Ure in Ripon.
A crew from the fire station in Ripon worked with water and animal rescue teams to save 12 sheep from the fast-flowing water yesterday. Heavy rain had caused river levels to rise, cutting off the sheep from land.
The firefighters got the call at around 9am and headed straight to the river.
They waded into the water and used their bodies to slow the current before shepherding the animals away from harm.
Tom Harrison, a firefighter who was part of the rescue effort, told the Stray Ferret:
“Once we had located the sheep we set up a team and made a safe passage for them to cross the river.
“We didn’t need to use any equipment, we just stood in the water and used our bodies to slow the flow of water.
“When we managed to get one to leave the island the rest soon followed.
“All of the sheep managed to get away so yes I would say it was a successful operation.”
Read more:
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue added:
“Initial assessment from an officer to reports of approximately 12 sheep stranded on an island in the river.
“After confirming Fire and Rescue could assist in the rescue of the sheep, various water and animal rescue teams were sent to assist.”
This latest animal rescue comes almost a year after a similar incident with cows in the River Ure during the floods in November 2020.
Emergency flood response underway in Harrogate districtAn emergency response is underway at homes in the Harrogate district in danger of flooding after today’s thunderstorms.
The emergency planning department at Harrogate Borough Council revealed tonight it had been called to homes in Pannal and Dishforth following today’s heavy rain.
The council’s emergency planning department supports the emergency services in the response to major incidents.
It said on Twitter:
“Our team have deployed to Dishforth this evening to protect a property at risk of foul water flooding and are currently working with our North Yorkshire County Council colleagues to protect another property in Pannal from surface water flooding.”
No further details are available at this time.
A Met Office yellow weather warning is in place in the Harrogate district until midnight tonight. The warning says:
“Heavy showers and thunderstorms leading to a chance of flooding and disruption.
“There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.”
Read more:
- Harrogate district records 71 new covid cases today
- Smouldering barbecue sets garage alight in Pannal
Live: Met Office yellow warning for ice as storm subsides
Residents in the Harrogate district woke today to more flood warnings after days of heavy rain.
Keep refreshing this page to get the latest updates on weather and travel.
Help to keep our live blog up to date by sending pictures and information about flooding to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.
4.30pm – Boroughbridge residents fight the flood
People in Boroughbridge have been fighting hard to keep their homes and businesses dry as the river and canal spill over.
We sent a reporter to the town to see how people were coping with the floods.
Read our report here: https://thestrayferret.co.uk/boroughbridge-care-home-garage-and-homeowners-fight-floods/
3.07pm – Met Office yellow warning for ice tonight
Storm Christoph may be abating but weather problems are likely to persist, according to the latest Met Office update. It says river levels could continue to rise “for a little longer” and colder weather is on its way.
A yellow warning for ice is in place for the Harrogate district tonight. Temperatures are forecast to fall as low as minus one degree centigrade tonight and sub-zero nighttime temperatures are forecast until Monday.
https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/1352269742548115456
2.35pm – York-Leeds trains cancelled for today
The train operator has said the weather is causing some issues on its lines meaning services between York and Leeds will be withdrawn for the rest of the day.
Northern added it was working with Network Rail to recover the tracks following the bad weather.
https://twitter.com/northernassist/status/1352247289629257728
1.35pm – Number of flood alerts and warnings reduces
Is the situation improving? There are now eight flood warning and alerts in place in the Harrogate district, compared with 11 last night. Areas near Boroughbridge seem to be experiencing the main threat now.
Flood warnings, which are more severe, remain active for:
Swinney Beck in Masham
River Ure at Roecliffe caravan park
River Ure at Milby Island
River Nidd at Hunsingore
Flood alerts are in place for:
Upper River Nidd catchment
Lower River Nidd catchment
Lower River Ure
Lower Dunsforth Access
12.39pm – Fountains Abbey affected by storm damage
Fountains Abbey has withstood some tumultuous times but Storm Christoph has left a scar.
1/2 The arrival of storm Christoph has caused some dramatic affects here this morning.
More frequently occurring extreme weather events are a direct result of climate change and are the single biggest threat to the precious landscapes cared for by the National Trust. pic.twitter.com/bHUGTeTBVj— Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, National Trust (@fountainsabbey) January 21, 2021
11.36am – Warnings over travel on A59 at Whixley
North Yorkshire County Council has issued a warning to drivers travelling between Harrogate and York.
It says the A59 at Whixley is only ‘passable with care’ thanks to water on the carriageway.
Other roads affected are Tockwith Road in Long Marston and Spofforth Lane in North Deighton.
A full list of road closures and affected routes can be found on NYCC’s website.
10.53am – List of roads affected by weather
North Yorkshire County Council has just published seven tweets listing which roads in the county have been affected by weather.
Many are not in the Harrogate district but the east of the district, around Cattal and Bishop Monkton, features prominently.
New Row, between Darley and Birstwith, is also on the list.
(1/7)A number of roads in #NorthYorkshire are effected by #flooding or #snow.
Closed
•C32 Fleet Moss
•Unclassified Askrigg East and West Moor
•Unclassified Redmire Moor
•Kirby Wiske, Maunby
•Dalton lane at Cod beck Blenders
•Cowlands Lane, Holme-on-Swale pic.twitter.com/vHPQjNmeYc— North Yorkshire Council (@northyorksc) January 21, 2021
10.20am – Homes may flood in Masham
The government’s flood information service has updated at 10am to say homes may flood in Masham today.
“River levels have risen as a result of heavy rainfall associated with Storm Christoph.
“Consequently, flooding of property is possible. Areas most at risk are properties along Westholme Road.
“No further significant rainfall is expected today. We are closely monitoring the situation.
“Our incident response staff are closely monitoring the forecast.
“Please put your flood plan into action and activate any property flood protection products you may have.”
10.15am – Firefighters pump water from flooded Harrogate home
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue pumped flood water from a basement in Harrogate this morning.
The incident summary for the night details how the crew used a light portable pump at the property on Lancaster Road at 8.30am.
A crew also attended a property in Nun Monkton surrounded by floodwater and gave advice to the homeowner.
10am – More than 100 flood warnings and alerts
There are currently 65 flood warnings and 52 flooding alerts across North Yorkshire and the surrounding area.
North Yorkshire County Council has warned people to only travel if the journey is essential and to not drive through flooded roads.
The government’s flood alert system is currently a sea of orange and red warnings across the UK and North Yorkshire.
https://twitter.com/KnaresPolice/status/1352194198800371712
9am – Close call for Knaresborough caravan park
Residents living at the Nidderdale Lodge Park in Knaresborough had a close call with the river Nidd’s water levels last night.
This picture below shows just how high the water is this morning. The resident said the blue bench (pictured) was submerged last night but it has not reached the same levels as in 2015.

Photograph: Margaret Pearson
8am – River Nidd flowing fast in aftermath of Storm Christoph
Our reporter captured this video of a fast-flowing river Nidd near Killinghall this morning.
Storm Christoph now appears to have passed but many residents in the district will have to keep a close eye on the rivers near them.
How the river Nidd is looking today in the aftermath of Storm Christoph. Follow our live blog here: https://t.co/Fc0lNqw4cb pic.twitter.com/I5H7GCgXd6
— The Stray Ferret (@thestrayferret) January 21, 2021
7.30am – Boroughbridge river levels peak at 15 metres
The river Ure in Boroughbridge reached 15 metres over night and appears to be on the way down.
According to the Gauge Map, the river levels topped off at around 2am last night.
While still high, the river lowered to 14.8 metres at around 7am this morning.
On 21/01/21 at 01:15 the river level was 14.93mAOD and above its typical range. pic.twitter.com/KlSi0455I8
— Boroughbridge (@riverlevel_1874) January 21, 2021
7am – Harrogate district through worst of heavy rain
The Met Office no longer has any weather warnings in place for the Harrogate district after days of heavy rain.
Forecasters are predicting some showers to hit around midday but only for around a couple of hours.
Friday and the weekend is set to be largely dry, providing relief for rivers running at high levels.
6.40am – Several flood warnings in place
The government’s flood information service added more flood warnings to the Harrogate district last night.
Swinney Beck in Masham and the Bishop Monkton Beck are the latest to be added to the list of places expected to flood.
Warnings also remain in place for Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Low Laithe.
Flood warnings are more sever than alerts and mean that “flooding is expected,” with “immediate action required.”
Harrogate district floods: homes, cars and cows rescued
Emergency services in the Harrogate district have had a busy day rescuing people trapped by floodwater in their homes and cars — as well as saving a herd of cows.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service responded to reports of cattle stuck on the Ure bank in Ripon just before 2pm.
The river level in the area increased rapidly from below one metre to almost four metres today.
Appliances from Ripon, Richmond, Colburn and Selby used water rescue equipment to save the herd before leaving the incident in the hands of North Yorkshire Police.
Crew from Knaresborough and Wetherby rescued a female driver stuck inside a vehicle in flood water in Cattal shortly before midday.
Minutes earlier, firemen had removed water from a flooded home in Masham after the river burst its banks.
Read more:
- Harrogate district recovers from floods — but alerts remain
- River Nidd flooding set to hit Knaresborough today
At around 4pm crews in Ripon also rescued an elderly man from a car after he had driven into flood water.
Flood warnings remain in place for the River Nidd in Knaresborough and the River Ure at Masham.
The government’s flood information service posted an update on the situation in Masham this afternoon, which said:
Stray floods despite £20,000 drainage scheme“Please activate any property flood protection products you may have, such as flood barriers and air brick covers, and stay away from fast moving water.”
The West Park area of the Stray was flooded this morning after the first night of heavy rain since Harrogate Borough Council spent £20,000 improving drainage.
Several large puddles covered the Stray this morning, the largest of which is at the corner of West Park and Otley Road.
The council announced in April it had awarded £130,000 to Glendale Services to restore the Stray after last year’s UCI Road World Championships caused widespread damage.
More than £20,000 of this was set aside to improve poor drainage, which caused regular flooding.

More puddles on the corner of Beech Grove and West Park.
Council leader Richard Cooper said the investment would “address the historic drainage issues at the corner of Otley Road and West Park” that had been “an issue and frustration to local residents for a number of years”.
But today’s evidence suggests the problem of flooding remains.
Read more:
- West Park Stray — 12 months of mud, repair and debate
- Harrogate council: Dangerous West Park Stray claims ‘simply ridiculous’
- West Park Stray opening is ‘frankly dangerous,’ says SDA
A council spokesman said:
“Overnight, there was a significant amount of rainfall that has resulted in numerous areas in Harrogate and across the district experiencing standing water. West Park Stray being one of them. This standing water will filter through to the drainage channels in due course.”
Harrogate Borough Council reopened West Park Stray in August, more than 11 months after the UCI championships ended.

The council promised to fix the problem.
The Stray Defence Association said it believes the work did not fully repair the damage and said it remains “dangerous” – something the council disputes as “frankly ridiculous.”
West Park Stray: A year at a glance
- UCI World Championships – September 2019
- West Park Stray pictured as a quagmire – October 2019
- Partial recovery but problems remain – March 2020
- Heavy machinery moves in to work – May 2020
- Green shoots of hope – July 2020
- West Park Stray opens to public after 316 days – August 2020
- Debate rumbles on about West Park Stray – September 2020
- West Park Stray floods – October 2020