Storm Desmond: Cumbria towns evacuated amid severe flooding

The Met Office is forecasting continued strong wind across the weekend until Sunday (6 December) and Northern Powergrid is closely monitoring the weather forecast.

In Preston this morning, Eastway was closed at Watling Street Road and there was a large flood outside St Clare's Catholic Primary School, Sharoe Green Lane, Fulwood.

Flooding and landslides brought disruption to travel across Scotland, while some homes have been evacuated as rivers burst their banks in the Borders and Tayside.

Members of the Civil Defence have been deployed to vulnerable areas of Kerry, and Kenmare is now completely inaccesible, according to reports. And the flood water is running off the road through the Helm like a mountain river.

Roads have been closed throughout the North and Scotland as Storm Desmond caused road cha...

Storm Desmond's effects are likely to lead to some drizzly rain over Derbyshire later today.

Poor weather conditions have affected power supplies across the north of the country, with Electricity North West reporting cuts in parts of Cumbria, including Carlisle and Keswick, through Lancashire and down to Manchester.

It says cables that have fallen in storms are highly unsafe and that it is best to avoid coming into contact with them.

Ferries from Ireland to Britain have been cancelled while flights have been diverted due to winds of up to 74pmh (118km/h)whipping in from the Atlantic.

Updates will continue at the News & Star website throughout the day.

Weather chiefs said we can expect a dry start this morning but should brace ourselves for a washout in the afternoon, with weather warnings expected to be implemented in the evening.

However, Twitter is already awash with pictures of severe flooding, showing massive damage to roads, houses and public areas.

Cumbria Constabulary said: "Many of Cumbria's roads are blocked or impassable due to flooding and widespread surface water".

ESB says the ongoing stormy conditions are making repairs hard.

Early on Sunday night, a band of rain will spread northwards across the country, and winds veering southerly will become very strong and gusty once again, it said.

There'll be rainfall totals of 30 to 50mm in these counties, it said. "We have had 24 hours of constant rain".

The rain will continue for most of next week - but there will be more dry intervals on Friday.

Hundreds of homes close to the River Kent in Kendal have been flooded and Coledale High Bridge in Braithwaite, near Keswick, has collapsed - leaving residents in the village stranded.