Farmers in Cornwall have suffered from flooding and gale force winds overnight (16/17 November), with 50mm of rain falling in just 10 hours.

The Met Office issued severe weather warnings for the south west, with winds gusting up to 55mph. Villages around Lostwithiel were worst affected, with Cardinham recording 50.2mm of rain overnight, and 18.8mm between 5am and 6am in the morning of 17 November.

“It’s been horrendous – it’s the worst I’ve known for several years,” said Mark Hoskin, who keeps beef cattle at Pentewan, St Austell. “I’ve got neighbours who are lambing at the moment, so I imagine there will be some losses. The roads are still blocked and villages flooded. A car was swept into the sea just a few miles away and a lot of cars are still stranded. Our nursery polytunnels were completely under water and there’s a lot of debris on the road.”

Local milk and egg deliveries were affected, and NFU Mutual in St Austell started taking calls for help with flood damage. “A lot more are likely to come through in the course of the next few days,” said spokesman Mark Taylor.

The Met Office forecast further rain and severe weather.

Meanwhile insurance firm Cornish Mutual said last winter’s cold weather cost more than £300,000 in claims – and forecasters have predicted another frosty winter this year.

Payouts were made for severe weather damage, burst pipes, car accidents and where farmers had to dispose of milk because tankers could not collect it.

Claims averaged more than £1400 – and the firm has urged members to ensure they are fully covered again this year.

“We experienced one of the busiest winters on record,” said managing director Alan Goddard.

“If last winter was anything to go by, we’re certainly bracing ourselves for another surge in calls from our members over the next few months.”

With lower than expected temperatures expected again this winter, farmers should prepare for icy conditions and heavy snowfall, and consider adding uncollected milk cover to their policy, he warned.