Leeds Bradford Airport re-opens but storm continues to disrupt rail services

Leeds Bradford Airport has re-opened after a plane veered off the runway in yesterday’s storm Babet.

The TUI Airways flight from Corfu went off the runway and onto the grass after landing at around 1.53pm in heavy rain. None of the  195 passengers and crew were injured.

The LBA team said it and its partners had worked tirelessly throughout the night in torrential conditions to recover the aircraft in order to safely reopen the runway and airport.

The airport put out this statement at 12.30 today.:

Passengers travelling should contact their airline to check the status of their flight before travelling to the airport as there will be continuing disruption.

We understand the significant disruption and inconvenience for passengers departing for their holidays and returning home. We are grateful for the patience and understanding our passengers and business partners have shown during this difficult time.

It thanked staff and passengers for their patience:

We want to express our sincere gratitude to everyone involved in supporting the effort dealing with the incident, disruption and recovery of the aircraft in exceptionally difficult conditions.

Once again, we would like to thank our passengers for their cooperation and understanding during this challenging period.

LNER warns people not to travel

LNER meanwhile, has warned rail passengers not to travel today as the severe weather continues to cause major disruption to services.

In a statement LNER said:

Due to ongoing flooding of the route between Doncaster and Wakefield, speed restrictions in Scotland and trains and crews being out of position following yesterday’s extensive disruption, an extremely limited service is in operation and services may be subject to short-notice cancellation.

There are no LNER services operating north of Edinburgh. Due to road closures, rail replacement is not available.  Other train operators are also subject to disruption.

Tickets will be valid for travel between Monday 23 October and Friday 27 October 2023 or fee free refunds will be possible from the original point of purchase.

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Flooding expected on Skell, Ure and Nidd as river levels rise

Flood warnings are active on low-lying areas alongside the rivers Ure, Skell and Nidd in the Ripon, Boroughbridge and Harrogate areas this morning. The Environment Agency issues flood warnings when flooding is expected and immediate action is required. One was installed in Ripon last night due to rising river levels. The Environment Agency said:

“Flooding is forecast to affect locations near the River Laver, River Skell, with low lying land expected to be most affected, particularly around riverside properties including Firs Avenue and properties either side of Alma Weir.”

Another warning is active for Boroughbridge camping and caravan site along the Ure. It says the river level is expected to peak at around 2.2m at Westwick Weir this morning, A separate warning was issued at 12.48am this morning for the nearby River Tutt in Boroughbridge where properties next to the river are expected to flood. The only part of the River Nidd with a flood warning is at Birstwith, where the Environment Agency said at 4.48am this morning:

“Areas most at risk include properties situated along Wreaks Road, Clint Bank and Broomfield Road.”

Less severe flood alerts, which indicate flooding is possible but not likely, are in place for the upper, middle and lower Nidd catchment areas A flood warning for the Lower River Ure was issued at 1.48am last night but was downgraded to an alert at 8.31am, with the Environment Agency now saying:

“Flooding is possible on low-lying land including agricultural land and local roads in the areas around Masham, Boroughbridge, Aldborough and Bishop Monkton.”

The River Crimple, Lower Dunsforth Access and the Nidd at Hunsingore also have flood alerts in place. Lighter rain is expected this morning before a 48-hour dry period proceeds more rain.

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Heavy rain causes flooding and travel disruption

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.

 

 

RHS Harlow Carr to close tomorrow due to weather warning

RHS Harlow Carr in Harrogate has announced it will close tomorrow and its Autumn Garden Weekend has been cancelled due to Storm Babet.

The Autumn Garden event was due to take place this weekend on Saturday (October 21) and Sunday (October 22).

However, the RHS said in an email today:

“The extreme weather means it will not be possible to set up the event as planned on Friday and therefore the garden will be closed in order to ensure the safety of our visitors, staff and volunteers.”

The announcement follows a weather warning issued by the Met Office earlier this week.

It said the Harrogate district will see heavy rain from 9pm on Wednesday to 6am on Saturday.

The RHS added it will “monitor the weather” and hopes to reopen the garden as usual on Saturday.

It added:

“We are very sorry for the inconvenience and disappointment this is likely to cause, and we thank you for your understanding.”

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Harewood Bridge closure postponed due to Storm Babet

Planned repairs and overnight closures of Harewood Bridge near Harrogate have been postponed due to a weather warning.

The specialist works to the grade-II listed bridge would have seen an upgrade to the surfacing on the road. A 15-mile diversion would have also been in place.

Leeds City Council was due to close the bridge overnight on Wednesday (October 18) and Thursday (October 19) between 9pm and 5.30am.

However, in an email from Connecting Leeds, people were told the plans have been delayed due to “Storm Babet and heavy rain forecast”.

A spokesperson for Leeds City Council added:

“For the works to happen, conditions must be absolutely dry for the period of treatment to the road surface.

“Alternative arrangements are being looked into by the contractor about how we carry out this work with wetter and possibly unpredictable weather ahead.”

The Met Office issued a weather warning on Monday for rain in the Harrogate district from 9pm on Wednesday to 6am on Saturday.

The grade-II listed structure carries the A61 Harrogate Road over the River Wharfe and is a busy route between Harrogate and Leeds.

The plans at Harewood Bridge followed four weeks of works to the bridge over the summer holidays.

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Met Office issues four-day rain warning for Harrogate district

A weather warning covering four days has been issued for the Harrogate district as Storm Babet approaches.

The storm is forecast to bring wet and windy weather across the UK from Wednesday. Eastern Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Pennines are likely to be worst affected.

A Met Office weather warning for rain is in place in the Harrogate district from 9pm on Wednesday to 6am on Saturday.

Although gusts of over 60 mph are expected in Scotland, the Met Office isn’t currently forecasting anything higher than just above 30mph locally. But plenty of rain is due, especially on Friday.

The Met Office, which has issued a less severe yellow weather warning, said there was a “small chance” of some homes and businesses flooding and has warned of difficult driving conditions.

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