Cumbria floods: Christmas woe as waters rise for third time in a month

Weather warnings have been issued for Cumbria across Christmas as floods and torrential rain hit the beleaguered county for the third time in a month.

The worst-affected areas in Cumbria have been Keswick, Kendal, Appleby and Glenridding, the BBC reported as the River Eden burst its banks.

In Appleby two people had to be rescued by fire fighters and pumps were deployed to two other nearby properties. The road bridge through the town and the Greta Bridge in Keswick have been closed because of the floods.

The 40mm (1.57ins) of rain that has fallen across Cumbria would not usually be expected to cause these kinds of floods, but the high water levels are due to low-lying land still saturated by the water left in the wake of Storm Desmond.

Record levels of rainfall have been recorded in Cumbria over the last month with the floods having a greater effect than ever before, particularly for farmers who have been unable to work under the conditions.

Police are warning drivers and residents to exercise extreme caution in the adverse weather. A spokesman from Cumbria Constabulary was quoted as saying ignoring road signs was "extremely dangerous" and put "lives at risk".