Cockermouth in Cumbria experienced heavy rain fall
(PA)
People have been evacuated from their homes and road have been flooded in Scotland and Cumbria as the UK faces five more days of rain.
A “danger to life” warning was issued by the Met Office in Cumbria on Thursday as some areas were hit by up to 13 inches of rain in 24 hours.
The flooding has caused major delays on train lines and affected services running to Glasgow ahead of the Cop26 climate summit.
Emergency services in the Scottish borders said that 500 properties were at risk from damage. But, in a positive step, some families were able to return to their homes late on Thursday night as the River Teviot began to recede.
Homes and roads swamped by downpour in Cumbria
Torrential rain in Cumbria has caused home evacuations and road blocks.
Nine flood warnings remain in force in the area on Friday, according to local media.
And a “danger to life” warning has been put in place by the Met Office.
Around 1,200 properties had to be protected from the rising waters by the Environment Agency. Officers shut flood gates and removed debris and blockages from watercourses.
On Thursday, Honister Pass saw over 12 inches of rain fall in 24 hours.
Train operators have also told people to avoid travelling on the West Coast Main Line and Cumbria Coastal routes.
Holly Bancroft29 October 2021 11:23
Scotland hit by heavy rain and flooding causing people to evacuate their homes
Heavy rain has caused a river to overflow in the Scottish Borders prompting an evacuation mission.
A “major incident” was declared in Hawick after torrential rain swelled the rivers Tweed and Teviot on Thursday.
The river Teviot has now reached its peak and people are making their way back home, according to local authorities.
My colleague Eleanor Sly has the latest.
Holly Bancroft29 October 2021 11:19
‘Chaos’ as people try to make their way by train to Cop26 summit
People trying to make their way to Glasgow on Friday took to social media to warn others of “travel chaos”.
Jake Wakefield, campaigner at Tearfund, wrote: “A good reminder for all heading to Cop26 that if we’re struggling to get to Glasgow, the chaos caused by climate breakdown is so much more severe elsewhere.”
Jack McKenna, head of communications for Angela Rayner, said: “Welcome to COP! There are no trains to Glasgow as it rained north of Manchester, we’re using the tax system to incentivise domestic flight and forgot about the climate crisis in the budget.”
Holly Bancroft29 October 2021 11:16
Trains cancelled to Glasgow ahead of climate change summit
The train operator Avanti West Cost has told customers that it is “experiencing severe disruption to our services north of Preston” ahead of the Cop26 summit in Glasgow.
They advised people to “not travel on this route” despite many trying to make their way to the conference this weekend.
It is operating an amended timetable between Preston and Scotland, with speed restrictions in place which will significantly delay trains that are not already cancelled.
Network Rail Scotland said that they were limiting Glasgow-bound trains to 5mp through the Hartwood area due to heavy rain flooding the line. They added: “We’ve staff on site with water pumps who are monitoring the situation”.
TransPennine Express has also advised people not to travel on the West Coast Main Line unless essential.
Liam Sumpter, route director of Network Rail Scotland, said: “Extreme rainfall can pose a serious risk to the railway, causing landslips or damaging our infrastructure and bridges.
“The safety of our passengers and colleagues is our main priority during periods of poor weather, and slowing services down and running fewer trains will help us manage these conditions for everyone.”
Holly Bancroft29 October 2021 11:11
