Severe weather conditions in Cumbria & North Lancashire

19 November 2009

Heavy rain is forecast across our region during the next few days, with a number of extreme weather and flood warnings now in place.

Areas such as Keswick have already had 30mm of rain in 12 hours, and some areas have started to flood. Overall, the whole region is likely to be significantly affected by rain and wind between Wednesday and Saturday, with North Lancashire and Cumbria the worst affected areas.

Rainfall totals of 75 to 100 mm are expected over parts of these regions by Friday with 200 mm or more possible over the higher ground of Cumbria. As a result, there is the risk of potential flooding and disruption in towns and villages in these areas, as well as for the transport network there.

United Utilities is working with organisations including the Environment Agency, the police and county councils in Lancashire and Cumbria. We have joined a regional cross business incident team to monitor the situation closely and to ensure that all appropriate contingency plans are in place, especially in Carlisle, which is particularly vulnerable to flooding.

For the latest weather reports, please see the Met Office website, www.metoffice.gov.uk which also has breaking updates on the weather warnings.

Should flooding or any other related incidents occur, we will have the latest updates on our emergency pages of the Website.  If you need urgent help, please call 0845 746 2200