Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Storm Desmond: Weather sees police declare major incident as severe flooding and 80mph winds lash UK

One man dies as extreme conditions cause homes to be evacuated, disrupt trains and strand drivers

Lucy White
Saturday 05 December 2015 22:22 GMT
Comments
Flooding in Cumbria, which has been given a‘red warning area’ label by the Met Office
Flooding in Cumbria, which has been given a‘red warning area’ label by the Met Office (Caters News Agency)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Storm Desmond has lashed large areas of England and Scotland as severe flooding and winds of up 80mph caused police to declare a major incident.

More than 30 severe storm warnings – indicating danger to life – were issued in Cumbria and Northumberland, and two severe storm alerts were issued in south-west Scotland as heavy rain continued well into Sunday.

Homes in the Cumbrian towns of Appleby and Keswick were evacuated and drivers were rescued from stranded cars as flood waters breached defences, submerged streets and disrupted road and rail services.

In London, a 90-year-old man died near Finchley Central station after he was blown into the side of a moving bus by a gust of wind.

The storm also caused disruption in north Wales, Northern Ireland and North Yorkshire, where thousands of homes were left without electricity.

The M8 at Bathgate, West Lothian, was closed in both directions after a lorry jacknifed and hit the central reservation, and landslides in the Highlands caused the closure of the A82 overnight.

“River levels across northern England are already high and we are expecting to see severe flooding locally as a result of today’s rainfall, with communities in Cumbria likely to be the most affected due to flooding of roads and properties,” said Jonathan Day, flood risk manager for the Environment Agency.

The agency has issued 17 severe flood warnings – indicating potential “danger to life” – for parts of the river Tyne in Northumberland and Cumbria, the river Greta at Keswick and the river Eden at Appleby.

Residents across northern England, the Midlands and Wales were also advised through further warnings to take immediate action in anticipation of flooding. Cumbria was expected to receive more than 150mm of rain before the storm clears southwards this morning.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency had 15 flood alerts in place around the country and issued multiple flood warnings in Tayside, the Borders and Easter Ross and the Great Glen.

Anyone driving in flooded areas is urged to take great care. Simon Williams, a spokesman for the RAC, warned motorists: “Water getting sucked into engines can cause catastrophic damage, which could lead to a frightening repair bill.”

The Met Office expects the weather to remain unsettled over the next five days; the wettest and windiest conditions are expected in the north and west, it says.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in