Cumbria's floods: as it happened

Thousands of people across the region have been protecting their homes from flooding after heavy rain and wind throughout the weekend.

Severe Flood Warnings were issued for Egremont and Kendal, but these were downgraded to Flood Warnings as the day wore on.

There are still Flood Warnings and Flood Alerts in much of Cumbria and Southern Scotland.

South Cumbria was worst hit. Heavy rain has fallen all weekend on already saturated ground. The lakes are swollen and the river Kent in Kendal was the highest it's been for five years.

12 Severe Flood Warnings were issued last night: six for Egremont and six for Kendal.

South Lakeland District Council warned 200 to 1000 homes near the River Kent in Kendal could flood and emergency services urged residents to go to higher ground to avoid needing to be rescued later, though most opted to stay.

The Environment Agency issued a total of 48 flood warnings and alerts across Cumbria, while the Scottish Protection Agency issued Flood Alerts for Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders.

By the morning, Egremont's warnings were downgraded and by mid-afternoon, Kendal's were too.

Whitesands in Dumfries was upgraded to a Flood Warning during the afternoon, as rain continued to fall.

The Environment Agency is still warning people not to go near rivers as they are swollen, running fast and are therefore dangerous.

Although some houses were flooded, the numbers were nothing like what the emergency services were prepared for.

The roads did not suffer so well: the A66 was closed for a time due to standing water and debris on the road and water ran off the fells and onto the A591, causing areas of deep standing water. Many cars had to be abandoned.

Fire crews were busy pumping water to protect homes. They were also called to The Daffodil Hotel in Grasmere, where up to 151 guests were stranded for a time as a moat collected in the car park.

In the end Evacuation Refuge Centres in Kendal and Egremont weren't as busy as the authorities originally thought. In Kendal, the one person who came to the Town Hall was taken to join 6 others at the Leisure Centre.

The authorities stress their preparation and flood defences prevented any loss of life and the number of flooded homes they originally feared.