Squads at Carlisle United will be offering a helping hand after their training session on Tuesday, the club has confirmed.

They later tweeted that the U18s squad will be joining the first team in helping to clean up the city after floods devastated the area.

Another part of Pooley Bridge has broken off as the River Eamont batters what's left of the 18th Century bridge.

Thanks to Mark Vause of Elm House Guest House for this video.

Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss says flood defences in Cumbria provided "vital time" for emergency services to evacuate homes and they are monitoring the situation in Carlisle "closely".

She said: "We're expecting upwards of 2,000 homes and businesses will have been flooded in North West England.

"Some areas are experiencing power cuts while other are difficult to reach because of severe disruption to travel."

It will be a dry and quiet start to the evening, however further cloud and patchy rain will spread northwards later, this lasting until the morning. Winds will stay fairly light.

Minimum temperature: 3C (37F). There are 45 severe flood warnings in place in the North West, external.

The RNLI Flood Rescue Team volunteers working in Carlisle have evacuated about 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."

Lancashire County Council says 10 schools will be closed on Monday due to flooding.

They are Appletree Nursery School, Carnforth High School, Great Wood Primary and Lancaster Girls’ Grammar.

Also closed are Over Kellet Wilson's Endowed CE Primary, Quernmore CE Voluntary Controlled Primary and Scotforth St Paul's CE Primary and Nursery.

The final three closures are St Peter's CE Primary, Heysham, The Cathedral Catholic Primary, Lancaster  and Trumacar Nursery and Community Primary in Higher Heysham.

Military personnel have been moving into Carlisle to help people evacuate their homes and those who are trapped by the flood water.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

A look inside one of the properties in Keswick which has been damaged by flooding caused by Storm Desmond.

Owners Roger and Julie Scoon said they never dreamt the water would come into their house.

Planned power cuts are due to start in Carlisle from about now.

The supply company Electricity North West says it's having to make them, to prevent 60,000 customers from losing power at once, external.

It's expecting to turn off the supply for 5,000 customers at a time, for up to three hours.

The company says it's trying to make best use of its assets that aren't affected by the flooding.  

Helen Carter
Reporter, BBC News Online

Lancashire Police said they are investigating the sudden death of a 70-year-old woman in Lancaster this morning.

They were called to an address at Alder Court at 10:30 today by the ambulance service.

A spokesman told me it's "too early at this stage" to determine if her death was related to flooding.

Pooley Bridge near Penrith has collapsed - see footage below.

The collapse of the bridge means about a 10-mile road journey to reach the other side of the bridge via Penrith.

Here is a gallery of pictures capturing the fall-out as more than 1,000 people were evacuated, tens of thousands left without power and streets left underwater.  

Image source, Getty Images

About 350 army personnel have been made available from 2nd Battalion Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, based in Weeton Barracks near Preston, to assist with the general flooding response from the early hours. 

They arrived with two vehicles to help evacuate and warn residents in Carlisle - and sent a Chinook helicopter to move high-velocity pumping equipment needed at an electricity substation.  

Pooley Bridge near Penrith has collapsed, police say.

It is found next to the River Eamont at the northern end of Lake Ullswater as it flows on to Penrith.

Image source, Google

"The three-arch bridge was erected in 1764, according to an inscription on a parapet stone.

"It replaces a much earlier bridge dating back to the late 16th century," according to the Britain Express website, external.

The West Coast main line north of Carlisle will remain closed for several days after eight feet of water flooded the railway, external.

The depth of the water, about two miles north of Carlisle station, has reached its peak but is not expected to clear until Tuesday.

A spokesman said: "A number of safety-critical cabinets, which house complex electrical equipment, are currently submerged and will have to be rebuilt once it is safe to do so."

Image source, Network Rail

Workers have been clearing trees, landslips and repairing flood damage. Passengers should check the National Rail website, external before travelling.

Carlisle's hospital is running on a backup generator - and the trust that runs it, North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, has declared an internal major incident.

Cumberland Infirmary had lost power following damage to a substation in Carlisle from water.

Power has been lost to 50,000 properties in Lancaster, including the Royal Lancaster Infirmary which is running on reserve generators. This is expected this to be the case for several days.

Patients are being urged to only call 999 or go to A&E in Carlisle or Whitehaven if it's an emergency.

David Shukman
Science editor, BBC News

Carlisle and the shocking sight of the main railway line under water.

  The struggle to keep the lights on in Carlisle - an electricity substation underwater  

Cockermouth's Christmas tree surrounded by flood water

An underwater search team is being deployed, external to the River Kent at Staveley to search for an elderly man thought to have fallen into water.

Police were called at about 10:00 to Staveley Road, Kendal, with a report that an elderly male had fallen in the water.

United Utilities says the widespread power loss in Lancaster following the flooding of an Electricity North West substation has had an impact on some of the pumps used to transport water to customers’ taps.

About 80 customers are currently without water as a result and United Utilities said they would be supplying bottled water to these properties.