Man dies and flooding devastates Cumbria as Storm Desmond batters Britain

The Environment Agency declared 130 flood warnings, while residents in some areas were evacuated from their homes.

Most of the North East of England was battered by heavy rain, strong winds and flooding in some parts last night.

Update: 9pm: The Defence Forces have been called in to help combat the affects of Storm Desmond tonight.

Marc Becker, Sepa’s duty hydrology manager, said: “The risk to communities in Hawick and Newcastleton are such that Sepa, in discussion with emergency responders, have issued severe flood warnings for both towns”.

The status red rainfall warning has been put in place as up to 50mm of additional rainfall is forecast up to the early hours of tomorrow.

“We’ve also had a long ongoing operation in Lisnaskea, where we’ve deployed our high volume pumping units to pump water and to prevent further flooding”.

The storm was expected to wind down by Sunday, but another Atlantic storm, though not as wet, was expected to sweep into the area Monday.

But he added that, in the face of record rainfall in the area prompting a “very very serious response” from the fire and rescue service, mountain rescue, the police and the army, people in the area had shown “incredible community spirit”.

Dozens of highways and main roads were closed Saturday due to landslides or flooding.

“I’ve driven into the village and there is four to five feet of water in the middle where people would usually be walking around”, he said.

If people decide to evacuate their homes, emergency services say they should inform your family and friends where you are going, and that you are safe, to avoid concerned relatives contacting emergency services.

The Emergency Helpline has been stood down but an out of hours emergency number (087-4169496) remains in place for members of the public who wish to report flooded roads, fallen trees or other relevant difficulties.

In Co Tyrone the Gortnagarn Road, Mountjoy, Omagh is closed at the bridge as well as the Monaghan Road and Carnteel Road in Aughnacloy.

Hundreds of homes across the county have been affected by flooding.

ESB Networks said on Saturday night that some 1,700 properties still remained without power despite services being restored to some 11,000 customers over the course of the day.

Some areas have already seen more than a month’s worth of rain over the last 24 hours.

Football and rugby matches, as well as other outdoor events, have been canceled throughout the affected regions.

“Due to the current weather conditions being experienced across Cumbria, the emergency services are experiencing a high number of flooding related calls”.

Homes close to the River Esk in Langholm were also evacuated on Saturday night as water breached the bank, while flooding has also been reported in some areas of Annandale and Eskdale including Wamphray, Cummertrees and Hoddom.