This is the incredible moment that a woman filmed herself commuting home on a kayak during Storm Babet as heavy downpours sparked deluge across the UK.
The extraordinary video, which was posted to TikTok earlier this week by Grace Vickers, shows her paddling through a flooded street in Chesterfield after finishing her shift at work.
It has left viewers questioning whether the footage was actually filmed in the English market town rather than somewhere with more familiar scenes such as Venice.
Intense flooding in the UK has been caused by Storm Babet, which has devastated parts of the country with heavy rain, leaving thousands of people without power and others with their homes submerged in water.
While the storm has now passed, there are still hundreds of flood warnings in effect across the country and Environment Agency bosses say that flooding is likely to last until Tuesday in areas with larger rivers such as the Severn, Ouse and Trent.
This is the incredible moment that a woman filmed herself commuting home on a kayak during Storm Babet as heavy downpours sparked deluge across the UK
The extraordinary video, which was posted to TikTok earlier this week by Grace Vickers, shows her paddling through a flooded street in Chesterfield after finishing her shift at work
At one point she passes a car that is almost fully submerged, lying vertically in the water with its rear number plate only just visible
The video shows an area in Chesterfield that has clearly been devastated by floods following this week’s torrential downpours.
A woman can be seen sitting on a kayak as it paddles through waters, which appear to have reached a considerable height.
Clearly in disbelief at what she is seeing, the woman passes by a block of houses where the flood water hasa almost reached the bottom of the first floor windows.
Later on she passes a car that is almost fully submerged, lying vertically in the water with its rear number plate only just visible.
Unfortunately, such scenes are not unique to Chesterfield, with many other areas across the UK having been overcome with intense flooding.
Clean-ups are underway in communities across the country as the flood waters finally began to subside.
Derby City Council said they are seeing record-breaking water levels in the River Derwent – which left much of the village of Sandiacre underwater – and warned that cleaning up after the floods could take several days.
A total of 59 people and 12 animals were rescued from flooded homes in neighbouring Stapleford.
In Sheffield, South Yorkshire, 120 homes have been evacuated in the Catcliffe area after devastating flooding.
The River Rother reached heights of 30.44m, exceeding the level it reached in 2007 when the area was ravaged by disastrous floods.
Parts of the river Lugg near Leominster, in Herefordshire, also burst it banks, causing devastation for nearby residents, while the River Ouse in York has continued to rise reaching a heigh of 3.64m after breaking its banks yesterday.
The video shows an area in Chesterfield that has clearly been devastated by floods following this week’s torrential downpours
A woman can be seen sitting on a kayak as it paddles through waters, which appear to have reached a considerable height
The woman passes by a block of houses where the flood water hasa almost reached the bottom of the first floor windows
Flooding on the high street and surrounding fields in Holywell in Cambridgeshire on Sunday morning after the River Great Ouse burst its banks
Flooding in York at dawn this morning where the River Ouse has continued to rise reaching a heigh of 3.64m after breaking its banks
The Kings Arms pub in York this morning has also been affected by flooding caused by the River Ouse breaking its banks
Derbyshire Fire Service said more than 100 people had to be rescued in the county on Friday, including 20 people at a care home in Duffield.
In Wales, a severe flood warning had been issued for the village of Llandrinio, Powys, as well as isolated properties in the Severn-Vyrnwy confluence area.
In the North Sea, more than half the staff manning a drilling platform were airlifted to other sites after several of its anchors came loose during Storm Babet.
At least nine people are feared to have died during the storm, including a number of road crashes where the weather is believed to have played a part in the tragedy.
As of 11am in England, 200 flood warnings – meaning flooding is ‘expected’ – are in effect across the country; in Scotland, three flood warnings remain in effect, while in Wales there is one flood warning still in place.
Katharine Smith, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, says teams have been sent to the worst-affected areas to operate flood barriers and put up temporary defences, including pumps to get rid of flood waters.
She added: ‘Following persistent, heavy rain from Storm Babet, severe river flooding impacts are probable in parts of the East Midlands and South Yorkshire…into Sunday.
‘Ongoing flooding is probable on some larger rivers including the Severn, Ouse and Trent through to Tuesday.
‘We also advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and urge people not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.’
Dramatic drone pictures lay bare the devastating damage caused by Storm Babet after the village of Sandiacre, in Derbyshire, was flooded
Aerial photogrpahs have shown the extent of the devastation caused in the area, with fields, roads and industrial areas submerged in swathes of water
Flooding in the surrounding fields in Holywell in Cambridgeshire on Sunday morning
Flooded fields around the River Lugg near Leominster, after Storm Babet battered the UK
In Scotland, a 57-year-old woman was swept to her death in the Glen Esk valley in Angus on Thursday; a 56-year-old man was killed by a falling tree close to nearby Forfar later the same day; and a man in his 60s was swept away by flood waters in Shropshire on Friday.
Elsewhere, police are said to be treating a crash in Halifax that killed a 19-year-old man and a pile-up on the M4 that killed two women, both on Friday, as being related to the inclement weather conditions.
And a man and a woman were killed after their car plunged from a bridge near Skipton, North Yorkshire, on Saturday afternoon; officers have not stated whether the car left the bridge as a result of the stormy winds and heavy rain.
Police in Derbyshire, where a major incident was declared amid widespread flooding, say the death of a woman in her 80s in Chesterfield was also likely linked to Storm Babet – taking the total death toll to nine.
Throughout Sunday, disruption is expected on LNER, Scotrail, Northern, Transpennine Express, Greater Anglia, Transport for Wales, CrossCountry and East Midlands Railway services.
Yesterday, Network Rail said crowd control measures were put in place at King’s Cross as a result of disruption to LNER services, before the station was closed.