'Danger to life' flood warning after a month's worth of rain falls in 24 hours

28 October 2021, 12:28 | Updated: 28 October 2021, 17:12

Water rises high in Cockermouth after rainfall causes flooding in Cumbria

Cumbria has experienced flooding overnight after being deluged by heavy rain, with more forecast over the coming hours.

An amber weather warning is in place in Cumbria has heavy rain is set to lash down until midnight tonight.

The amber alter warns warns of "danger to life from fast flowing or deep floodwater" as well as "damage to some buildings"and the possibility that communities "may be cut off by flooded roads".

There are currently 10 flood warnings and 16 flood alerts in place for Cumbria where the Environment Agency have advised some residents to move family, pets and valuables to a "safe place" and turn off gas, electricity and water supplies.

Burneside resident Karen Stewart told LBC it was normal for roads to be closed due to flooding, and said that floods often result in "raw sewage" coming up through the drains.

She said the flood barriers "mean nothing at all", saying the water would "still get in".

She added that, whilst the water level had gone down overnight, more rain - as is forecast - would cause even more floods.

Cumbria resident speaks to LBC about flooding

Cumbria Police warned that some roads may be impassable, while at around 6am on Thursday South Lakes police tweeted that the A591 Rydal to Grasmere road was not passable "due to the depth of flood waters in several locations" and urged people not to take unnecessary risks and only to travel if they really need to.

Flooding in Ambleside, Cumbria

Photos shared on social media show entire roads blocked off by floodwater, with police and other organisations advising motorists to avoid affected areas.

Read more: Met Office warns of deadly flood risk as 'unbelievable' rain lashes parts of UK

Entire jetties were submerged on Bowness-on-Windermere.

Flooding in Bowness-on-Windermere

Cumbria has seen a month's worth of rain in 24 hours.

The Met Office said 332mm of rain had fallen in Honister Pass over the past 32 hours.

Seathwaite saw 271mm over the same period, whilst Thirlmere saw 145mm.

In a tweet, the Met Office warned of more flooding and advised people to stay aware.

Stuart Mounsey, flood risk manager for the Environment Agency in Cumbria, advised people on how to stay safe.

"We've had over 12 inches of rain in the Central Lake District over the last 24 hours," he said, speaking from Keswick in a video posted to social media.

He said there were 16 flood alerts and 9 flood warnings across Cumbria, and urged people to "be prepared and ready to act".

"We would also urge people to stay safe by not driving through floodwater and also keeping away from the rivers," he added.