Tributes have been paid to three people killed in two separate weather-related incidents on Friday at the height of Storm Babet, as new weather warnings were issued on Tuesday.
Yellow weather warnings were put in place for parts of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the south-east of England on Tuesday, with the expectation of heavy rain in some areas that are already flooded.
Tuesday evening was judged likely to bring difficult driving conditions, delays and cancellations to buses and trains, with a possibility that homes and businesses could be further flooded and communities cut off.
The Met Office said the warnings, which will stay in place in the south-east until Wednesday morning, came with a small chance of fast-flowing or deep flood water causing danger to life.
Seven people are thought to have died in flooding and due to poor road conditions since the arrival of Storm Babet, which caused widespread flooding from Scotland through to the east Midlands.
Police have now named Cheryl Woods, 61, and her daughter Sarha Smith, 40, from Caerphilly, south Wales, who died in a pileup of four cars and an HGV on the M4 in Wiltshire on Friday morning.
Police Scotland, meanwhile, named the driver who was swept away in floodwaters in Aberdeenshire and whose body was not found for three days as Peter Pelling, 61, from Arbroath.
The force said it had been alerted about a man trapped in his vehicle near Marykirk at 3am on Friday morning. Emergency search and rescue teams were dispatched, but Pelling’s body was not recovered until Monday.
In a statement released by Wiltshire police, the family of the two women who died in the crash said: “Cheryl Woods, cherished by those in her life, fulfilled the roles of a loving mother, doting grandmother, cherished sister, and a dear friend.
“Her selflessness was a defining trait, consistently prioritising her family’s wellbeing over her own, and she took immense pride in her Welsh heritage while nurturing a deep love for nature.
“Sarha Smith, in the footsteps of her mother, unselfishly devoted herself to her family’s needs ahead of her own.
“She was not only a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, but her absence leaves a void for those who relied on her radiant presence.
“Her legacy lives on through her six daughters, who will forever hold her memory close and strive to honour her with their efforts.”
Pelling’s family said in a statement: “Peter was a very kind, loyal and hardworking man. He was a much-loved son, brother, uncle, partner and friend. Our family are absolutely devastated by this horrific and tragic accident.
“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the first responders and all of the emergency services teams involved in what was a particularly challenging rescue, due to the weather and environmental factors surrounding the incident. Their continued efforts over the past few days has been so greatly appreciated.”
Other deaths include 84-year-old Maureen Gilbert, whose lifeless body was found by her son in flood water inside her home on Saturday morning.
Derbyshire police has referred itself to the IOPC over her death in Chesterfield, as officers had been part of the local emergency service flood response.
It said: “The referral is mandatory due to officers being involved with the evacuation of homes in the area on Friday evening.
“This was part of a multi-agency response in which the force was supporting colleagues from Derbyshire fire and rescue service who were evacuating properties.”
Flood reports to the Environment Agency were at their highest level since 2015/16 during Storm Babet, which has now subsided leaving seasonal wet weather behind.
At least 1,250 properties in England were flooded, with October daily rainfall records broken last week in 13 areas, including parts of Suffolk, South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Wiltshire, Kincardineshire, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Northumberland, Derbyshire and Humberside, the Met Office said.
