Woman killed in floods named as former High Sheriff of Derbyshire

The woman who died after being swept away by floodwater amid torrential rain across northern England has been named as former High Sheriff of Derbyshire, Annie Hall.

Ms Hall’s body was found on Friday morning after emergency services were called to the River Derwent in Darley Dale, near Matlock.

Her family said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that we, the family of Annie Hall, report her sudden passing. We are in great shock and grieving.”

Ms Hall served as high sheriff, a ceremonial position, in 2017.

Paying tribute, the chief constable of Derbyshire Police, Peter Goodman, said: “I am shocked and deeply saddened by the untimely and tragic death of my friend, and former High Sheriff, Annie Hall.

“Annie was a great leader in Derbyshire in both industry and on the civic front. She will be hugely missed.”

Matlock was one of dozens of areas affected by flooding after a month’s worth of rain fell within the space of 24 hours on Thursday.

During a visit to the town on Friday, Boris Johnson claimed that flooding in northern England was not a “national emergency”.

He claimed that the government was investing £2.6bn in flood defences but added: “In the end, you’ve got to face the reality that places like this are vulnerable to flooding – we’re going to see more of it.”

Seven severe “threat to life” warnings remain in force for the River Don in East and South Yorkshire, which was hit by the worst floods since 2007.

Residents in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, were told to evacuate their homes on Friday and some had to be rescued from their homes by boat.

Around 35 homes were evacuated in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, after a collapsed quarry triggered a mudslide.

More than 80mm of rain fell in some areas of Yorkshire on Thursday, when the average monthly rainfall total for the county at this time of year is 89mm.

The Met Office said these areas would be spared further downpours over the weekend, although places such as Wales and Shropshire saw their first snowfall of the season on Saturday.

Parts of the country experienced a frosty start to the weekend, with -7C recorded in Braemar, Scotland.

Two yellow rain warnings have been issued across the UK, with one in place from 11am until midnight stretching from Oxford and Brighton, while another covers Northern Ireland between Ballycastle and Newry from 5am until 8pm.

A warning for ice is also in place in Northern Ireland from 2am until 10am on Sunday.

Sunday is forecast to be a dry and sunny day across most of the UK, with a frosty start expected in some places.

Temperatures could get down to -7C or -8C in parts of Scotland on Sunday morning, however it will brighten up as the day progresses.

Met Office forecaster Luke Miall said: “It’s cold wherever you are, temperatures 4C to 7C for most, maybe 9C or 10C across more southern counties.”

Temperatures will remain on the chilly side throughout Sunday night, with most places seeing 5C to 6C during the start of Monday.

There will be a mixture of hail, thunder, and gusty winds on Monday, while strong winds will make it feel much colder than recent days.

Mr Miall said there will be “further unsettled weather to come as we head through the week”, with frost and fog possible overnight and cold and showery conditions throughout the day.

He added: “You really will need to wrap up warm.”