The effects of Storm Babet have been felt far and wide across the UK, with plenty of chaos caused by heavy rain and flooding.

Several red, amber and yellow weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office over the last couple of days and into the weekend.

It is affecting large swathes of Scotland in particular as well as much of Wales, England and Northern Ireland.

The rain is also accompanied by very strong winds, making it a relentless experience for those caught up in it.

Many might question where the storm actually came from and what is causing it to be so devastating.

Where did Storm Babet come from?

Experts say Babet is an “extraordinary” storm which has been fuelled by several factors, The Independent reports.

This includes the impact of a typhoon on the jet stream and rising temperatures.

Dr Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, explained: "Storm Babet is an extraordinary piece of weather caused by the interaction of a number of linked conditions across the world.

“The jet stream, which plays such an important role in the weather in Europe, has been squeezed into a weird position, partly as a result of a powerful typhoon that hit Japan last week.”

What do different weather warnings mean?

“An active storm has moved up over the Bay of Biscay, and is now due to slow over the east of Britain, dumping an enormous amount of rain over eastern parts of Scotland,” she added.

Scientists have also remarked that rising temperatures across the world could be making rainfall more intense in such storms.

Dr Cloke said: “Climate change has caused seas and air to be unusually warm.

“Warmer seas have more dynamic energy which can create more damaging storms, and warmer air can hold more water, leading to higher rates of rainfall.”