David Cameron to visit flood-hit areas
Mounting anger over failed flood defences
Commons statement on floods after Cobra meeting
GuardianWitness: how has Storm Desmond affected you?
Read the latest summary
3.00pm GMT
Here’s a roundup of where things currently stand:
2.53pm GMT
A driver in Kelso in the Scottish Borders has been charged after appearing to ignore “road closed” signs before driving into floodwater and being carried down a river in her car.
2.41pm GMT
A table of Cumbria police’s estimate for the number homes flooded in the county has a curious anomaly.
It shows that the “most likely scenario” for the number of homes flooded in Kendal is 1,376, which is several hundred more homes than the figure it gives for the “reasonable worst case number of properties flooded”.
2.28pm GMT
Record water levels have been recorded in Keswick, Appleby and Kendal confirming residents’ claims that this weekend’s floods were worse than in 2009.
This weekend saw the highest river levels in some locations.Check river levels https://t.co/pp9L8b1OS3 #floodaware pic.twitter.com/ufNjmcaybl
2.22pm GMT
Richard Murphy, the tax campaigner and economic adviser to opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, has been chipping in on the subject of flood defences. He says the only way you can pay for flood defences is by running up a deficit as he suggested in the idea of People’s Quantitative Easing.
How to pay for flood defences? Easy. Run a deficit. And if not then do People's Quantitative Easing. It’s as simple as that.
One of the very best ways to protect Lake District from flooding is to plant trees and displace the sheep. Trees prevent the water run-off
2.13pm GMT
Josh Halliday is in Penrith where they are stocking up on supplies in case of further rain.
Emergency supplies at Penrith leisure centre, on-call as evacuation centre amid warnings of more rain tonight pic.twitter.com/f5KY6k24jZ
Seahawk search-and-rescue helicopter used Penrith football pitch as landing pad when 20-30 locals were evacuated at weekend.
2.08pm GMT
Some residents in Keswick and Cockermouth say the damage done by Storm Desmond is even worse than the floods in 2009, writes Fred Searle.
Paul Protano, the owner of Luca’s Restaurant on the bank of river Greta in Keswick, said: ‘I’m totally flooded and closed for the foreseeable future.
‘The water was halfway up the walls, over the table tops. Fridges over, freezer over, completely gutted. There’s an inch of mud right through the car park. It’s terrible.
1.58pm GMT
The Met Office has published computer generated animation showing how record levels of rain fell over north-west England in a 24-hour period over the weekend.
New rainfall record for a 24-hour period was broken at the weekend with 341.4mm recorded at Honister Pass https://t.co/A4udcXARae
1.51pm GMT
Cumbria police estimate that up to 6,425 properties have been flooded across the county. The worst hit area is Carlisle where an estimated 3,500 homes are flooded.
1.44pm GMT
The government will fully reimburse councils for the costs of dealing with flooding, the prime minister has said.
Speaking at the De Ferrers Academy in Burton, Staffordshire, Cameron said there were some levels of rainfall that it was “extremely hard” to protect against.
Cameron said: “First of all our hearts must go out to families who have been driven out of their homes by flood water, many of whom will have had a very worrying 48 hours stuck in their homes and I think the emergency services have done a brilliant job.
Prime Minister David Cameron outlines government plans for tackling the floods clean-up following #StormDesmond https://t.co/se1DdsIM3T
1.36pm GMT
Greenpeace UK climate campaigner Pat Venditti has some advice for David Cameron as the prime minister travels to areas worst hit by the floods.
“The science is clear. Rising temperatures are expected to bring heavier rainfalls to the UK, which in turn are likely to increase flood risks right across the country. The percentage points and sub-clauses ministers will be haggling over in Paris may seem far removed from the everyday reality of people in Britain, yet their consequences will be felt by thousands of UK people too. If Cameron is serious about protecting people’s security, homes and businesses from future floods, there are two things he can do right now: work hard for a strong climate deal in Paris and provide adequate funding for flood protections back home.”
1.33pm GMT
The Environment Agency still has 46 severe flood warnings in place for the north-west and a further 32 flood warnings for the north-west, north-east and Wales.
It is urging communities in these areas and parts of the Midlands to remain vigilant.
There remains ongoing flooding across Cumbria and parts of Lancashire. Severe flood warnings remain in place for the river Greta at Keswick, river Cocker in Cockermouth and river Eden at Appleby. Further flood warnings will be issued as necessary.
Disruption from flooding is expected to continue today along the river Severn, through Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. There is also a flood risk along the river Dee in Cheshire and the river Ouse, in York, over the coming days as it responds to further rainfall.
1.27pm GMT
Fire crews and the Environment Agency are pumping water from homes in St Michael’s, Lancashire.
We are pumping flood water from homes in Rivermede St Michaels # Lancashire #floodaware pic.twitter.com/gDYT6yHmMA
We are still busy today dealing with the flooding in Lancaster. We currently have 2 fire engines and a high volume pump in St Michaels.
1.20pm GMT
Almost 3,000 homes in Cumbria and Lancashire are still without power, according to Electricity North West. In its latest update it said:
Engineers from Electricity North West are working hard in extremely difficult conditions to restore the remaining 2,657 properties in Cumbria and 300 in Lancaster and surrounding areas.
Around 60,000 customers have been restored since Storm Desmond hit the region on Saturday, 55,000 of which in Lancaster after floodwater breached flood defences at the main substation.
1.12pm GMT
The Environment Agency has put together a battle-style map of how it has deployed resources from around England to help tackle the floods in Cumbria and Lancashire.
How we we're supporting #Cumbria and #Lancashire from the rest of the country #StormDesmond #TeamEA pic.twitter.com/Iasw53VDky
1.07pm GMT
The Guardian’s North of England editor Helen Pidd has been talking to residents in Cockermouth trying to salvage what they can from flooded homes.
Terry and Julie Rickerby have grabbed medication & Xmas presents from their flood ravaged home in Cockermouth pic.twitter.com/r4rDKkueMR
1.05pm GMT
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for further rain on Thursday for south-west Scotland and parts of Cumbria.
Yellow severe weather warning for #rain has been issued up to Thursday. More details at https://t.co/TmvTfmDfrK pic.twitter.com/aKNXB51rgW
12.59pm GMT
Spending on flood defences in England is due to fall by 14% this year, PA reminds us.
The government has set aside £695m for dealing with flooding and erosion in 2015-16. This is £116m less than in 2014-15, according to figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and is the biggest year-on-year fall since 2011-12.
12.18pm GMT
Record rain, flooded homes, evacuations, power cuts, Red Cross centres, mobilised soldiers and emergency Cobra committee meetings: this is what climate change looks like for the UK, writes Damian Carrington.
Flooding is the nation’s number one threat from global warming: five million homes are already at risk, and the number is rising as temperature rises.
Just as after the severe floods of the winter of 2013-14, David Cameron has pledged to do all he can to help the many thousands of people affected. But he is treating the symptoms, not the cause.
12.13pm GMT
A Just Giving appeal to help families in Cumbria hit by the flooding has raised almost £300,000, writes Fred Searle.
The appeal was launched by the Cumbria Community Foundation, which donated £50,000 of its own resources to kickstart the initiative.
“It’s really heartwarming to see how much social media has picked up on this,” said the foundation’s communications officer Annalee Holliday.
12.06pm GMT
Here’s video of the environment secretary, Liz Truss, promising that lessons will be learned from the response to the floods.
12.03pm GMT
The Liberal Democrats have urged the government to apply for a grant from the EU’s Solidarity Fund to help support communities hit by the floods.
11.58am GMT
Official forecasts may underestimate the risks of flooding, Downing Street suggested this morning, writes Andrew Sparrow on the Politics Live blog.
The prime minister’s spokeswoman told journalists that David Cameron raised the issue at this morning’s meeting of the Cobra emergency committee and asked whether there needs to be “adjustments” in relation to flood planning in the light of events over the weekend. She said:
‘There was an agreement that the government should look again at the level of rainfall we have seen in the floods, and how that tallies with the flood defences.’
11.56am GMT
More than 360 people have been rescued from their homes in the Warwick Road area of Carlisle, and more continue to be evacuated, according to Steve Janes from West Midlands fire service who is helping out with the operation.
Speaking to the BBC’s Danny Savage he said: “If you need rescuing let us know and we’ll do what we can to help you.”
RT @dannysavage: The latest from Warwick Road. #Carlisle Still pulling people out of their homes. #BBCNEWS pic.twitter.com/MTBBxpnR0J
11.44am GMT
The Green party leader, Natalie Bennett, says the impact of Storm Desmond should provide an impetus to national and local authorities to help tackle climate change.
“Any individual event is of course weather, not climate change, but we know that scientists say that climate change will mean more frequent and higher level occurrences of extreme weather. The extraordinary Storm Desmond is a reminder that climate change is not something that will affect the distant future in far-off places, but an already existing reality that is impacting on all of our lives.
“Storm Desmond also brings into serious question government plans to cut funding for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and its failure to commit to enhancing the spending for maintenance of flood defences, when this is so clearly needed.
11.37am GMT
Here’s a roundup of where things currently stand:
11.14am GMT
Sheila Brown, Cockermouth’s town clerk, was in her office in the town hall on Monday morning trying to coordinate clean-up efforts at local council properties.
“There’s a massive clean-up operation going ahead now,” Brown told Damien Gayle.
11.07am GMT
Troops from the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, based in Weeton Barracks near Preston, continue to help with the rescue and clean-up operation in Carlisle.
10.58am GMT
A body has been found in the search of the river Kent, Kendal, writes Mike Glover.
Police were called at 10.01am on Sunday to reports that an elderly man had fallen in the water.
Officers, along with the underwater search team, are working to recover the body which has been located in the Kendal area.
10.48am GMT
The environment secretary, Liz Truss, is due to make that statement to the Commons at 3.30pm.
10.45am GMT
A quick telephone survey of a dozen businesses on Cockermouth’s Main Street yielded no answer, writes Damien Gayle.
Six rang out, while five had engaged tones and one a single drone, suggesting that telephone connections to those premises were out of order.
10.37am GMT
This map shows the areas worst hit by the floods.
10.34am GMT
Collapsed and dangerous bridges, main roads washed away and deluged railways meant chaos continued to turn lives upside down in the Lake District on Monday, writes Mike Glover in Kendal.
As the waters receded Lancashire and Cumbria began to count the cost of the damage caused by Storm Desmond, which tore through the region at the weekend.
Typical was Kendal, a town of 30,000 people at the gateway to the Lakes. It is built on the river Kent, England’s fastest flowing river, which burst its banks, consuming homes and businesses.
10.29am GMT
Environment secretary Liz Truss says the government will “learn the lessons” from the response to the floods.
10.20am GMT
Readers have been submitting images of Storm Desmond flood scenes to GuardianWitness.
Duncan shared this image of Cockermouth.
The Main Street of Cockermouth on Sunday at about 2pm. You almost forget how bad the situation is.
Sent via GuardianWitness
By Durcan
7 December 2015, 9:34
Dunkeld in Perthshire. The River Tay had just burst its banks early on Saturday morning. This is a photo of the river encroaching into the village
Sent via GuardianWitness
By keltyboy
7 December 2015, 9:51
10.16am GMT
Electricity North West appear to have tweeted too soon about power being restored to homes in Lancaster. In a statement it said 300 homes in Lancaster, Morecambe and the surrounding area remain cut off.
In a statement it also said 2,657 properties remain without power in Cumbria.
10.12am GMT
Damien Gayle has been talking to Colin Graham, owner of an antiques shop that perches on a bridge over the Cocker, who lost all his stock in the town’s 2009 flood.
Flood defences had held, he said, although at the height of the inundation, water spilled over the tops of the walls and flowed into the town’s Main Street.
10.06am GMT
Dramatic video footage shows the impact of the floods.
Helicopter footage of the flooded river Eden captures the scene in Armathwaite.
9.55am GMT
The West Coast mainline north between Carlisle and Glasgow will remain closed for several days after eight feet of water flooded the railway, according to Network Rail.
In a statement it said:
The depth of the water has reached its peak, but it is not expected to clear until Tuesday. A full assessment of the damage will take place as soon as the water recedes and everything done to reopen the railway as quickly as possible. 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.
Flooded West Coast Main Line north of Carlisle station to stay closed for days https://t.co/5D6uwFbxno pic.twitter.com/AkH6dhyuMJ
9.45am GMT
Power has been restored to all the homes in Lancaster, according Electricity North West.
All supplies back on in #Lancaster! Thanks for all your tweets and understanding everyone. All 55,000 of you should now be restored.
9.33am GMT
David Cameron is to visit affected areas after chairing a meeting of the government’s emergency committee.
The government is also due to make a statement in parliament about the floods.
I've just chaired a COBRA meeting on the floods. There'll be further announcements this morning - and later I will visit badly hit areas.
9.30am GMT
The Eden Bridge on the old A66 near Temple Sowerby has been closed because of flood damage.
Images of the bridge showed water levels almost up to the road.
Old a66 near temple sowerby. pic.twitter.com/A0H7Rhhiyz
9.22am GMT
Lifeboats are being deployed to the Warwick Road area of Carlisle to help evacuate people from their homes.
Cumbria police sent out this alert:
In the next 15 minutes boats from the RNLI will be going up and down Warwick Road using loudspeakers to try and communicate with any residents that need evacuation from their properties.
If residents who are in need of evacuation could make themselves available to the RNLI boats they can be safely evacuated from their homes.
9.07am GMT
If you’ve been affected by the flooding, GuardianWitness would like to hear from you.
Has your community been flooded? Are you without power or water? Are you unable to go to work, or are your children off school? You can share your videos and images of your experience via GuardianWitness.
Related: Storm Desmond: how has it affected you?
8.57am GMT
Electricity North West appears to have made some progress restoring power to homes in the north-west but more than 7,400 homes remain cut off.
We're still working hard to restore power to the final 4,751 properties in #Lancaster and 2,657 in Cumbria. #cumbriafloods
8.48am GMT
The A69 road in Cumbria between Brampton and the M6 motorway remains closed because of flooding from the river Eden at Warwick Bridge.
But the Highways Agency, which insists on calling drivers “customers”, has announced that A66 between Keswick and Cockermouth has reopened.
8.36am GMT
Sir James Bevan, the new chief executive of the Environment Agency, said his organisation will review its response to the floods.
But speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he pointed out that rain levels over the weekend were unprecedented and that the EA could “never completely protect all communities”.
8.16am GMT
Anger is mounting at the failure of flood defences.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Cumbria county council’s leader, Stewart Young, said: “There does need to be an investigation into the flood defences.
And NO discussion of watersheds and upstream river management. News reporting at its worst: all spectacle and no explanation. #flooding
8.07am GMT
Electricity North West said 40,000 homes in its region should have power restored by Monday evening. In a statement it said:
“Using generators from across the UK, engineers have restored power to 11,000 homes in Lancaster and aim to restore another 4,000 later this morning.
7.57am GMT
Welcome to live coverage of the aftermath of the flooding caused by Storm Desmond.
Here’s a roundup of how things currently stand:
Continue reading...