There are still 1,514 homes without power in Cumbria and people who have had their supplies reconnected are being urged to use electricity sparingly.

North West Electricity , externaloperations director Mark Williamson said: "We've now restored the vast majority of homes and businesses in Lancaster although we are aware of some affected by local issues that remain without power.

"The substation is back online but not yet operating at full capacity. That means we need customers to conserve power as much as possible until we can fully complete repairs on the substation. We will provide further updates throughout the day."  

With parts of the UK again dealing with severe flooding, questions are being asked about how it can be prevented and alleviated,

BBC News looks at what are the main methods and principles in use to stop flooding.

Image source, EPA

Beth Simpson from Carlisle says the water in her house came up to the third step of her staircase.

A man looks on as possessions are removed from a house in Warwick Road in Carlisle.

The clean-up operation is continuing after flood water blighted in the city.

If you want to get in touch you can email us, tweet us @BBC_Cumbria, external or contact us via Facebook, external.

Image source, Reuters

Here are the latest headlines for Cumbria this morning:

- There are still about 1,500 properties without power and 16 severe flood warnings in place for the North West, external

- Electricity Northwest says it has sent catering vans to parts of Carlisle to provide hot food and drinks to customers who don't have electricity

- The Met Office says seven or eight hours of steady rain is expected which could result in 20 to 40 mm of rain at low levels, 60 to 80 mm on the higher ground

There are still 16 flood warnings in place across the North West, the Environment Agency says.

See the full list here., external

North West Evening Mail
Newspaper

Judy Adams and her husband Dave were devastated to find out that their black and white piebald cob, Connor, had perished after being overwhelmed by the flood waters near their house at Gilpin Bridge near Levens, external.

Image source, North West Evening Mail

Hundreds of homes are still without power in Cumbria, where rescue workers are spending another day helping the clean-up operation.

Jonny Gios is a community worker for a church in Kendal that has been flooded.

He's been helping with the relief effort and made a video diary for the Victoria Derbyshire programme to show first hand the damage where he lives and works.  

Sian Hall
BBC Radio Cumbria

This is the scene this morning:

Police are reminding people not to move or remove signs on closed roads.

Tiverton and Honiton, external Conservative MP Neil Parish told the BBC's Newsnight that more needs to be done to combat the issues of flooding.

He said that the government has "to face up to the fact we need to spend more money" on flood defences.

You can watch the whole episode here.

Lee Macaulay
Journalist, BBC Radio Cumbria

There's an improving picture in the city centre of Carlisle this morning. I've been back to places that saw rising water over the weekend.

The water has subsided at Carlisle Magistrates Court since the weekend.

Now only mud and some water surrounds the civic centre in Carlisle.

Several Cumbrian churches have been hit by floodwater. They include the Parish Churches in Appleby and Kendal.

Teams of church volunteers have been offering support and help to those affected.

The Bishop of Carlisle, The Right Reverend James Newcome, says: "There have been disasters of various kinds over the last few years and each time there's tremendous collaborative working together, good humour and the Cumbrian spirit which says 'we're not going to be overcome by this', we're going to do something about it.

"And make sure the people who are suffering are supported."

BBC Travel

The A69 is closed in both directions between Carlisle and the A689 junction in Brampton because of flooding.

As Storm Desmond swept across parts of the UK, people have been sharing their experience with BBC News.

Sarah Whitby sent in this photo from the River Rothay in the Lake District on Saturday.

Image source, Sarah Whitby

The captain of Carlisle United football team, Danny Grainger, said he and his team will "stay overnight" to help victims of the heavy floods in the north of the UK.

Grainger said the team will help victims empty their houses of water and ruined furniture after their training session on Tuesday.

Hear his interview here:

St Lawrence's Church in Appleby has been hit by flooding before - but this time it was much worse.

The line at the bottom of this wooden panel shows the flood line from 2005, the one at the top shows how deep the water was over the weekend.

The community raised £50,000 for the church's defences in 2005 but the weekend's deluge proved too much.

BBC Cumbria

Environment Secretary Liz Truss, who is in Cumbria today, says the government is spending more on flood defences.

She told the BBC: "We're investing more, this parliament, in real terms in building new flood defences.

"We're going to look at this after this extreme weather event and see how we might change the way we look at the modelling around flood defences.

"I think climate change does play a role ... we need to adjust those models and adjust the thinking but it's not an exact science."

BBC Travel

The A592 in Staveley-in-Cartmel is closed in both directions between the Fell Foot Brow junction and the Birks Road junction because of flooding.

Mark Kinver
Environment reporter, BBC News

On Friday evening, residents of Cockermouth watched in disbelief and horror as floodwater once again returned to the streets of the Cumbrian town.

They hoped they had seen the back of the unwelcomed intruder that devastated hundreds of homes and businesses in 2009.

Image source, Getty Images

They hoped the construction in 2013 of a £4.4m scheme - including the UK's first self-closing flood barriers - would have prevented such scenes from being repeated in their lifetime.

It did not. Why? Read my full story here.