Storm Babet rages as North Staffordshire roads shut and schools …

Scores of roads across North Staffordshire have been left under water as Storm Babet has brought hours of heavy rain to the area. Police say officers have been ‘working tirelessly’ to rescue people stranded in floodwater.

It comes as the area remains under a yellow weather alert for rain, which came in at midnight and will run through to 6am in the morning. Heavy rain arrived in North Staffordshire in the early hours and has continued throughout the day.

It has seen roads across the area under water – with some forced to shut completely. Meanwhile officers covering Stafford borough say they have been rescuing people stranded in the high water.

READ: Pensioner killed in Staffordshire ‘hit-and-run’ as police launch appeal | Paramedics say nothing could be done to save the woman following the fatal collision in Kings Bromley ^[1]

READ: Cat left ‘half-dead’ after being hurled from moving car on A500 – as £400 reward offered | The terrified animal was rescued from the D-road embankment – now a £5k appeal has been launched to save its life ^[2]

The conditions have also affected the railways while some schools have been forced to shut early. Meteorologists believe it will carry on raining through until Saturday morning where it will ease up – only for more heavy showers in the early afternoon.

Police are warning motorists across the county to take extra care – and avoid floodwater.

A spokesperson for Stafford Borough Local Policing Team said: “Stafford officers are working tirelessly across the borough helping people stranded in floodwater. Please do not drive into any flood water and only make necessary journeys. There are floods across all major roads in Stafford and surrounding areas.”

Roads forced to close in North Staffordshire

It has been a case of deja-vu for motorists in the Moorlands with Buxton Road once again forced to shut. The stretch – near to the Severn Trent base – had been left under water since this morning. StokeonTrentLive reported on Friday last week how that same area was shut off when rain fell.

A53 in Leek close to the Severn Trent base

This afternoon and the route has again been completely closed. One motorist told StokeonTrentLive: “The road is closed and we’ve been asked to collect our children from Blackshaw Moor First School.”

Staying in the Moorlands and the the A523 through Waterhouses has also been left under water with images on social media showing flooding covering a stretch of the road.

In addition North Staffordshire area has also seen some strong winds today. Police have been called out to Stone Road in Oulton where a fallen tree has left the route shut in both directions between the Fulford turn-off and the turn-off for Kibblestone.

A police warning sign on the A520

Earlier this morning and Bridgewood Street in Longton had been shut but by the later morning was back open. Debris could be seen beneath the railway bridge where water had presumably gathered.

Elsewhere in the city and Chemical Lane, is undergone, under a lot of water with our photographer confirming that vehicles have still been able get through.

Conditions on Chemical Lane

There has also been standing water on various patches of the A53 between Baddeley Green and Leek with some flood water also on Leek Road through Abbey Hulton.

Earlier today and one lane on the M6 through North Staffordshire was also left closed due to flooding. There have also been some issues on the rail network.

Leek Road in Endon

At the time of writing services have been suspended on East Midlands Railway between Derby and Crewe while there are delays of upto 20 minutes on Avanti West Coast between Crewe and Stafford. There are also delays of upto 10 minutes between Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield.

Follow our live blog here for all the latest on the impact of Storm Babet in North Staffordshire ^[3]

‘Severe flooding’ sees schools shut

Some schools have closed today due to the conditions. Waterhouses Primary Academy in the Moorlands put out an alert saying it would close at noon. The update to parents stated: “Due to unprecedented amounts of rain and severe flooding affecting the roads, school will close at noon. Please collect your child from the school office.”

Tittensor First School is shut today due to conditions. A post on Staffordshire County Council’s website stated: “Flooding around school on the roads. Impassable in places at 9am and with increased rain later in the day which will worsen the floods.”

A road in Thorncliffe in the Moorlands

One parent has told StokeonTrentLive that Blackshaw Moor First School has contacted families asking them to collect their children due to flooding in the area.

It is anticipated other schools may have closed earlier, but not all have appeared on the county council’s closure list.

Latest Met Office forecast

Heavy rain is set to carry on through to around 11pm when there will be a dry spell. But that will only last until around midnight when light rain moves in and will then become heavy.

There will be light showers on Saturday morning before a brief dry spell from 8am to around 11am. It will become heavy again in the afternoon. There will then be light showers into the evening. Temperatures won’t get past 11C.

Sunday is set to be dry all day with sunny spells and a high of 13C.

References

^{^} Pensioner killed in Staffordshire ‘hit-and-run’ as police launch appeal | Paramedics say nothing could be done to save the woman following the fatal collision in Kings Bromley (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
^{^} Cat left ‘half-dead’ after being hurled from moving car on A500 – as £400 reward offered | The terrified animal was rescued from the D-road embankment – now a £5k appeal has been launched to save its life (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
^{^} Follow our live blog here for all the latest on the impact of Storm Babet in North Staffordshire (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
^{^} Sign up to our main daily newsletter here and get all the latest news straight to your inbox for FREE (data.reachplc.com)