Storm Babet Floods: Which Rivers Peaked, Which Areas Flooded And What The Gauges Recorded
Storm Babet brought exceptional rain to the UK from 18 October 2023, with two Met Office red rain warnings in Scotland. In England, the Environment Agency reported 2,146 properties flooded and record river levels at 37 locations in the East Midlands.
What Happened During Storm Babet?
Storm Babet was a named storm that brought very heavy rain and strong winds to the UK in October 2023, causing severe flooding in eastern Scotland and parts of England. The Met Office issued two red rain warnings issued by the Met Office, and eastern Scotland had its wettest October on record.
The key records and figures:
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Scotland rainfall | Eastern Scotland broke its record for rainfall in October, with 235.9mm of rain being 82% more than its average, in a series which goes back to 1836 | Met Office |
| Red rain warnings | Two | Met Office |
| Properties flooded in England | 2,146 (reported by 27 October 2023) | Environment Agency |
| Properties protected in England | An estimated 96,000 properties have been protected | Environment Agency |
| Flood warning messages | over 300,000 messages by email, telephone and text | Environment Agency |
| Record river levels, East Midlands | In the East Midlands, Storm Babet resulted in the highest recorded river levels at 37 locations | Environment Agency |
| Nottinghamshire rainfall | the wettest 3-day period that Nottinghamshire had ever experienced on record | Environment Agency |
Deaths were reported during the storm; the Environment Agency's update noted that a number had been widely reported. This page does not give a death toll, because no single official figure was verified.
Which Rivers Reached Their Highest Recorded Levels?
Storm Babet pushed river levels to their highest on record at 37 locations in the East Midlands alone, according to the Environment Agency. The gauges below show the peak recorded during the storm against each station's previous record.
Each station's full record, including its highest level ever, is on its own river level page; see river levels.
Which Areas Were Worst Affected?
In England, the East Midlands was among the worst affected, with record river levels at 37 locations and Nottinghamshire's wettest three-day period on record. In Scotland, Angus, Dundee, Fife and Kincardineshire recorded their wettest October on record as Storm Babet followed earlier heavy rain.
How Many Flood Warnings Were Issued?
The Environment Agency's flood warning service sent over 300,000 messages by email, telephone and text during Storm Babet. By 18:00 on 27 October 2023, 16 flood warnings and 75 flood alerts were still in force in England as further rain arrived.
What each warning level means is explained in flood warning levels.
How Does Storm Babet Compare With Previous Floods?
Storm Babet flooded fewer properties in England than the summer 2007 floods, when 55,000 homes flooded, but set rainfall and river level records in several areas. It was also the start of a wet winter: Storm Babet was then followed by Storms Ciaran and Henk which led to more significant flooding.
| Event | Properties flooded (England) | Notable record |
|---|---|---|
| Storm Babet, October 2023 | 2,146 (reported by 27 Oct 2023) | Record river levels at 37 East Midlands locations |
| Winter 2015 to 2016 | — | 341.4mm of rainfall in the 24-hours up to 1800 GMT on 5 December 2015, making for a new UK record for any 24-hour period (Storm Desmond) |
| Summer 2007 | 55,000 homes | River Severn at its highest recorded level at Upton upon Severn |
Property counts come from different reports and dates and are not strictly comparable.
Other major events are in the worst floods in UK history.
What Is The Flood Risk In The Affected Areas Now?
Flood risk in the areas Storm Babet flooded is shown by each place's flood risk band and Flood Zone, which describe the chance of flooding now rather than what happened in 2023. A home that flooded in Storm Babet may also have a changed insurance position.
- Check an address: check the flood risk of any UK postcode.
- Warnings now: live flood warnings.
- If your home flooded: grant schemes after Storm Babet were run by councils and some have closed; see property flood resilience grant.
floodriskchecker.co.uk is an independent website. It is not run by, or affiliated with, the Environment Agency, Defra, SEPA, Natural Resources Wales or any government body.
Sources (Verified 17 Sep 2026)
| Claim | Source |
|---|---|
| 2,146 properties flooded; 96,000 protected; over 300,000 messages; 16 warnings and 75 alerts on 27 Oct; deaths widely reported | Environment Agency, Flooding from Storm Babet (updated 27 Oct 2023) |
| Record levels at 37 locations; Nottinghamshire wettest 3-day period; followed by Ciaran and Henk | Environment Agency, East Midlands one year on from Storm Babet (18 Oct 2024) |
| Eastern Scotland wettest October; 235.9 mm; series to 1836; two red warnings; counties | Met Office, Wettest October on record for eastern Scotland (1 Nov 2023) |
| 2007 comparison | Environment Agency blog, Ten years on from the summer floods of 2007 |
| Storm Desmond record | Met Office, Did climate change have an impact on Storm Desmond? |