Farmers on flood alert as rain returns

Farmers in Cumbria are back on flood alert as heavy rain makes a return to the region.

Up to 100mm of rain is forecast over high ground, soaking land already saturated after record levels of rainfall last Thursday (19 November).

The Environment Agency said river levels remained high and warned people to stay away from floodwaters.

“The rivers and the lakes are extremely full,” a spokesman said. “We do have some concerns there will be a certain amount of flooding beyond what we had last week.”

Ten flood warnings remain in place in the north-west, with a further 58 flood warnings and watches across England and Wales.

Southern Scotland is also on alert as heavy and persistent rainstorms are expected to bring up to 60mm of rain.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has 18 flood watches and two flood warnings in place across the country.

While the rain is forecast to clear during Tuesday evening, the public have been advised to take extra care as gale-force winds continue to batter the region through the night.

View pictures showing the extent of the flooding in Cumbria on the Farmers Weekly photo gallery.