Clear-up under way, but more rain on the way for flood-hit areas
Flood defences prevented more flooding but more heavy rain is forecast.
Rain-lashed towns and villages are beginning a clear-up after floods hit Cumbria and southern Scotland, with more rain on the way.
Two bridges were washed away, around 40 properties flooded, homes evacuated and roads and rail transport all disrupted following very heavy downpours on Thursday and into Friday.
Cockermouth Mountain Rescue in Cumbria also had to rescue two tourists and their dog from chest-high floodwater in Southwaite Mill, Cumbria, on Thursday.
No reports of flooding were received overnight.
Andy Brown, flood risk manager for the Environment Agency, said but for flood defences the flood damage could have been worse.
“I’m very grateful today that many thousands of properties avoided being flooded because of those magnificent flood defences.”
The Environment Agency North West said it has teams out checking flood defences and removing blockages go grids.
Farther north over the border, Network Rail Scotland said that with extremely heavy rain forecast across Scotland on Friday, speed restrictions have been put in place, causing disruption on the West Coast Mainline between Glasgow and Carlisle.
Two road bridges spanning the River Annan, had been washed away north of the railway with trains unable to pass over a viaduct, closing the Dumfries to Carlisle line until further notice, Network Rail Scotland said.
The Scottish Borders Council said: “The evacuation of residents has now ceased and members of the public are being advised that they are safe to return to their homes.”
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) had seven flood alerts and eight flood warnings still in force, centred around Peebles and Hawick in the Borders, while in Cumbria 10 flood alerts and nine flood warnings were in place across the county.
Another period of heavy rain is expected to affect central and south-west Scotland from early on Saturday, the Met Office said, with 10-20mm predicted to fall quite widely across the warning area, much of this falling in only a few hours, and onto already wet or saturated ground.
Heavier rainfall of 30-40mm is possible across parts of Dumfries and Galloway, mainly on the hills, but rain will clear away eastwards later in the morning.
