After the dome on top of a lighthouse in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, was blown off, The Port of Tyne said it also suspected part of the south pier had been damaged, but was yet to confirm.
By Tim Dodd & Kathryn Hamlett
BBC England
Homes have been flooded, schools closed and motorways and railway lines submerged as Storm Babet batters England.
An amber warning for persistent heavy rain is in place until 06:00 on Saturday.
Up to 60mm of rain is likely, with the potential for up to 120mm on higher ground, the Met Office said.
People have been warned of fast-flowing or deep floodwater, causing danger to life.
The storm is causing disruption across the country, including:
- Flooding has blocked all railway lines running through Swindon, as well as several routes across northern England, the Midlands and North Wales. Rotherham Central Station has been shut
- Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service has been inundated with more than 200 calls in two hours, many relating to flooded cellars and cars stuck in water
- The dome on top of a lighthouse in South Shields has been blown off by huge waves and strong winds
- Parts of the M606 in West Yorkshire have been closed due to floodwater. The M54 was shut in both directions at J6-J7 but has now reopened.
- Schools have been shut in the West Midlands, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire, in many cases due to flooding on nearby roads
- Homes have been flooded in parts of Suffolk, and Dorset and Wiltshire firefighters have attended five flooded properties and made five vehicle rescues
Video shows water gushing into a home in Needham Market in Suffolk
In the East Midlands, heavy rain has caused disruption, with roads blocked by floods and fallen trees. There have been reports across the region of cars being stranded in deep water, including in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.
Across the West Midlands, schools are shut and several roads are impassable, including the M54 in Shropshire which has been closed in both directions between junctions six and seven.
Flooded Wood End Station
There has been flooding in parts of the east of England, with residents in Hemsby in Norfolk nervously watching high tide.
The village has been ravaged by coastal erosion and residents fear more land could be lost, along with properties. However, there were reports the village had avoided the worst at high tide at 11:21.
BBC Radio Norfolk reporter Andrew Turner, who is at the site, said the sea was still rough, but had receded after high tide.
“I have seen lumps of sand and marram grass coming down from the cliff and going across the beach into the water,” he said.
“There has been some erosion but I haven’t heard of anything that has had an effect on property.”
Fast-flowing water has been gushing along the River Derwent in Matlock
Train services between Bristol and London have been cancelled or delayed due to flooding in Swindon, and there are also no trains are running between Derby and Sheffield or Nottingham, Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley, and Shrewsbury and Hereford or Wolverhampton.
Services between Hereford and Birmingham New Street, Chester and Crewe, and Wrexham Central and Bidston, have also been suspended.
Parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire have also been hit with transport disruption, with Rotherham Central Station closed and several railway lines blocked by floodwater. National Highways said the M606 northbound exit slip road at junction three in Bradford had also been shut and tram services have been diverted in Sheffield.
Image source, PA Media
Sea foam covered the promenade in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, as strong waves hit across the country.
Storm Babet has already caused damage across the country, including a beach bar being swept into the sea in Torquay, Devon.
On Thursday, a woman and a four-year-old girl had to be rescued from a car stuck in floodwater near Carlisle.
The amber warning of rain joins a yellow warning of wind for Friday, which covers the East Midlands, East, north-east England, and Yorkshire and the Humber.
It started at midday and ends at 12:00 on Saturday.
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