Martin Lewes
Reporter

One year and a day on from Storm Desmond - this time last year, the news was only getting worse.

Today, we hope we and our colleagues around the BBC have been telling the story of things getting better, albeit slowly.

We'll be back tomorrow, with news, travel reports, a regular weather forecast and a few snippets from the social networks and your contributions.

If you've got a story we should know about or a picture to share, you can email us, tweet us, external or get in touch through our Facebook page, external. 

Have a very good evening.       

BBC Weather

A widespread frost will quickly develop under the largely clear skies. There is an increasing chance of low cloud or fog developing. Minimum Temperature -1C (30F).

You can see the latest forecast for where you are here.

Sian Hall
BBC Radio Cumbria

Brand new flood defences are being built to protect a factory that makes millions of biscuits a day. 

When McVities Carlisle was flooded with much of Caldewgate, it caused a shortage of biscuits such as Ginger Nuts and Carr's Water Biscuits. 

It was the second time within 10 years the factory had been put out of production by floods. Now new hydraulically operated gates are being fitted.

General manager Mike Heaney says the factory is a vital asset for his company

He said: "Anybody who passes the site will see lots of evidence of civil engineering taking place around the sides, around the back, and around the front, putting in flood defences to make sure that if another Storm Desmond happens we won't find ourselves under water."

The Environment Agency says Cumbria is better-prepared than it was a year ago to face future flooding.

Engineers have spent the months since the flooding clearing drains and river courses of the debris washed down by Storms Desmond, Eva and Frank.

Kath Tanner from the agency says nowhere should be more likely to flood than it was this time last year.

• Temperature at 3,000ft: 5C. 
• Winds: Moderate southerly, increasing strong to gale force, gusts locally 60mph by the end of the day. 
• Cloud: Extensive cloud around 2,000ft (600m), down to 1,000ft (300m) on exposed southern and western fells. 
• Visibility: Generally good, falling poor in hill fog. 
• Freezing level: Above the tops.

You can see the report from the top of Helvellyn here. , external

A drugs courier caught on the M6 with about 10kg of amphetamine packaged up in his hire car has been jailed for 40 months at Carlisle Crown Court.

Image source, Cumbria Police

Police found Stephen Whatmough was banned from driving and carrying five packages of the drugs, said to be worth £100,000, with his fingerprints on the inside.

Judge Peter Davies heard the father of two was short of money and being paid £1,000 for making the trip.

Whatmough, 37, from Croxteth Gate in Liverpool, admitted possessing the drug, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

People will sing carols tonight across one of Cumbria's biggest rivers, to celebrate the spirit of a town that helped people cope with serious flooding a year ago. 

"Sing For Appleby", starting at 18:30, repeats an event held for the first time last year to help keep up morale there after the floods of Storm Desmond. 

It was originally planned to re-unite the town in song while its main bridge was closed because of safety fears.  

A 16-year-old boy was seriously injured during a brawl with what police described a baseball bat.

Detectives say the mass fight on Park Lane happened at about 18:40 yesterday and involved men and women.

Det Sgt Martin Hodgson from West Cumbria CID said: “We would like to hear from anyone with information on this incident. A young man has suffered serious injuries which could have been much worse."

A man and a woman are being questioned.

Faeryland Grasmere is a business on the shores of the lake. This pair of pictures shows how high the lake became because of Storm Desmond, and just how far away that shore usually is.

BBC Travel

Roadworks are causing congestion on the A65 at Summerlands, near Kendal, at the Gatebeck Lane junction.

You can find the latest travel reports here.

BBC Two is carrying the draw live this evening for the third round of the FA Cup.

A man has been arrested after another man was treated for breathing in smoke in a fire in a house in Cleator Moor.

This morning officers said they were questioning a 34-year-old man who'd been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

Three fire engines were called to Norbeck Park just before 10:20 yesterday morning and fire fighters were at the scene for about six hours.

Martin Lewes
Reporter

A report published today by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, external sets out some of the records that fell in Storm Desmond last year. 

• A new UK record for 24 hours of rain: 341.4mm (13.4in) at Honister.
• A new UK record for 48 hours: 405mm (15.9in) at Thirlmere.
• New river flow records for the Eden, the Tyne, the Lune, about 1.700 cubic metres a second; enough to fill the Albert Hall in less than one minute.

In Cumbria, according to county council figures, 5, 319 households were flooded and 775 are yet to return home.

Of the 1,029 businesses flooded, 197 say they are not yet back to full operation.

The county council figures estimate the total cost of recovery at £500m.

The county says 557 bridges were damaged - 427 are still to be repaired, although most are now open.   The cost of bridge and highways repairs is put at £117m over the next three years.

The National Farmers' Union says 650 of its members were affected by the floods, with 144 farmers putting their collective losses at £1.7m.

At Raisgill Hall near Tebay, Steve Dunning's farmyard was swamped by 13,000 tonnes of mud and rubble, wrecking buildings, vehicles and equipment valued at £100,000.

The hillside has now been graded back to prevent future slides, and new flood defences have been built around the house.

But like many farmers, Mr Dunning's preparing for the next flood - he has moved his sheep sheds to another site, further up the hill away from the river.

BBC Weather

This afternoon should be fine, dry and settled with plenty of sunshine, turning hazy at times with a light south-easterly wind. It will continue to feel cold though. Maximum Temperature 4C (39F).

You can find the latest forecast for where you are, here.

Almost half the households flooded by Storm Desmond have had some help from the Cumbria Community Foundation, external.

Image source, Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

So far the charity has given out almost £7m, and Andy Beeforth from the foundation says requests are still coming in.

He said: "The need is huge and we're very confident that we'll spend up the remaining funds because not only are we helping people back into their homes, but we're topping up resilience grants."

The county's newspapers have been delving into the archives and assessing progress.  Here's a taste.

From Barrow comes spectacular pictures of water coming over the bridge at Backbarrow, while Carlisle's daily newspaper asks what's being done after the defences installed after other recent floods in Carlisle failed to stop the city's streets being swamped again last year.

Flood defences across Cumbria, some only built since the floods of 2010, were overwhelmed a year ago.

A 44-year-old horse rider suffered back and facial injuries when she fell off near Great Strickland.

A Great North Air Ambulance team assessed her at the scene and she was flown to the Cumberland Infirmary at Carlisle.