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Three explorers were brought to safety following a subterranean mission continuing for 30 hours throughout "dreadful circumstances" during the severe weather system.

The experienced cavers found themselves stuck inside the difficult underground passage, close to Grassington.

The alarm was raised around 10 PM on Thursday when they failed to return while one of their wives notified authorities.

Emergency response teams reported in excess of 100 responders participated throughout the "long and difficult" operation, that faced obstacles by storm impacts, water ingress, challenging topography plus prolonged time below surface.

By the time rescuers located the cavers in the early hours on Friday, rising water levels signified the easiest exit route was impassable, forcing the rescuers and the cavers to find alternative routes.

Rescue team leader detailed the way had they found the men slightly sooner, everyone might have made it home "in time for breakfast".

"Sadly the weather took an unexpected turn in store," he said.

"The main threat was flooding and, potentially in specific areas of the cave, submersion.

"If waters had increased at those points, conditions would have turned extremely hazardous."

Adjacent response units provided support, including multiple professional rescue organizations.

The underground teams operated in shifts to guide the exhausted cavers back, meanwhile surface crews endured "dreadful elements to keep contact plus handle supplies.

At one point, volunteers constructed a barrier employing protective covering to divert rising flood water past the cave entrance.

The first missing caver emerged safely in the afternoon that Friday, followed by another at 02:30 Saturday morning and the last explorer a couple hours after.

All three individuals were hurt though team coordinator said they suffered from fatigue following exposed and damp over two days.

"It takes determined people to endure that experience," he remarked.

The team wrapped up the mission in the morning.

While the storm had been forecast to impact starting Friday, rescue officials stated the caving trip organized by the cavers proved "completely justifiable" accounting for their experience plus the weather conditions on Thursday.

Nevertheless, significant precipitation came sooner and more severely than expected.

The men provided important specifics about their planned path – starting at one location to Dow Cave – before setting off, and officials stated this "saved the day".

"Absent that alert from the wife, it would have taken longer to notice the cavers hadn't returned until someone noticed the cars parked at the location for a couple of days," he concluded.