Summary

  • Police searching for a missing man find a body in the River Kent near Kendal, in Cumbria

  • Met Office confirms record rainfall fell on Cumbria in 24 hours - 341.4mm

  • As many as 5,000 homes in Northern England and southern Scotland flooded

  • Power has been lost to 42,000 properties in the Lancaster area and more than 1,400 in Cumbria are also without power

  • Schools closed and hospital services cancelled. Road and rail travel also disrupted

  • David Cameron has visited the flood-hit region and has chaired an emergency Cobra meeting

Live Reporting

  1. What next for flood-stricken areas?

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  2. 'Unprecedented circumstances' says NHS director

    Thanking staff who came in for extra shifts, Dr Craig Melrose, the medical director for NHS England North, warned of the challenges the organisation faces.

    These are unprecedented circumstances for Cumbria with flooding so widespread. As it stands we've got problems in all of the hospitals in the area. The Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and the RLI in Lancaster are running on generators. That's causing some difficulties"

  3. Planned power outages in Carlisle avoided

    Electricity North West say they have managed to protect a key substation in Carlisle. The company earlier said they would have to temporarily remove power from 5,000 people to protect tens of thousands more but said it was no longer necessary. 

  4. Another severe flood warning for Lancashire

    The Environment Agency has issued a severe flood warning for areas of the Lancashire village of St Michael's that are south of the River Wyre. It follows a breaching of flood embankments. 

  5. Carlisle 'lit like a film set'

    The BBC's Danny Savage tweets from Carlisle, which has seen power cuts.

  6. Old railway bridge collapses near Keswick

    A railway bridge dating to the Victorian era has collapsed on a footpath in-between Keswick and the village of Threlkeld. 

     . 

    A collapsed railway bridge near KeswickRob Freestone

    Keswick has been particularly badly hit

  7. Carlisle United offer to help with clear up

    The League One side has seen their home ground submerged by the floods but have offered assistance to local.

  8. Severe flood warnings no longer in place in Scotland

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  9. Yellow warnings from the Met Office

    The Met Office has yellow alerts in place in these areas, advising the public to be aware of severe weather.

  10. Cumulative rainfall carries risks - BBC Weather

    BBC Weather's John Hammond says despite receding flood waters in some areas, with more rain to come others may still feel the effects.

    It's the cumulative effect of several days of rainfall which is most key to (certain) areas and towns. Places that haven't had that much rain - to the east of the Pennines, parts of Yorkshire. there hasn't been much rain at all. But don't be fooled because the rain that has fallen on the Pennines will then flow down into the valleys across Yorkshire"

  11. 'Situation improving' - Environment Agency

  12. Man taken to hospital after car 'submerged' in ford

    A driver was taken to hospital after his car became "completely submerged" in a ford. in Pershore in Worcestershire.

    The man tried to drive through Walcot Lane ford, in Pershore, on Saturday morning, the ambulance service said.

    Full story here.

  13. RNLI have helped 200 people evacuate homes

    The RNLI Flood Rescue Team volunteers working in Carlisle have evacuated around 200 people today, and expect to help 200 more by early evening.

    RNLI volunteer Chris Missen, who travelled to Cumbria from Porthcawl, south Wales, to help the rescue effort, said the conditions were "unprecedented"."The RNLI currently has 30 people on the ground, with additional members on standby to relieve us as we have been on the go for around 24 hours.

    "It’s heart-breaking to see what this has done to people’s homes, especially just before Christmas."  

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  14. Dental services now affected

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  15. Tim Farron: Additional funds needed to help floods aftermath

    Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has called on the government to provide additional funding to affected areas to help deal with the aftermath of the floods.

    Mr Farron said that the government must back up its commitment to the "northern powerhouse", by providing more money. 

    He has written a letter explaining this to David Cameron.

    Tim FarronPA

    It is heartbreaking to see the impact of flooding once more on local people. My thoughts are with all those whose homes and businesses have been flooded, and who have been forced to evacuate. There is now a major task ahead of us in terms of repairing the damage caused by these floods, and I am calling on the government to support us in this and make additional funds available

    Tim Farron, Lib Dem leader

  16. Video: Pooley Bridge collapse

    Storm Desmond: Pooley Bridge collapses in Cumbria floods

  17. 48-hour rainfall totals

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  18. Panoramic view of flooding

    Cumbria

    This view of the lakes in Cumbria shows the extent of the flooding.

    "We don't have underwater aquifers in this part of the world because the rock is so hard," said BBC weather expert John Hammond.

    An aquifer is a layer of underground permeable rock through which water can easily move.

    "But most of the water [in Cumbria] is stored in reservoirs and they are all inter-linked," Mr Hammond added.

  19. The latest picture on Storm Desmond

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  20. Search ongoing for elderly man

    Search teams are trying to find an elderly man thought to have fallen into floodwater in Cumbria.

    Emergency services were alerted to a possible sighting of a man falling into the River Kent at Staveley Road in Kendal at about 10:00 GMT.

    Police are awaiting the arrival of the underwater search team to help them try and find the man.   

    There are currently 47 severe flood warnings in place for Kendal, Keswick, Cockermouth, Carlisle and Appleby.

    Full story here.