Homes and businesses flooded after 11 inches of rain

Homes have flooded, roads have been blocked and trains have been cancelled after heavy rain battered Cumbria and southern Scotland.

In Cumbria, properties have been flooded in Egremont, Cockermouth, Cleator and Borrowdale after more than 11 inches of rain fell on the county, according to the Environment Agency.

North of the border, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has not had reports of homes being flooded, but a major incident was declared in Hawick following fears that up to 500 properties could be flooded. Homes and businesses have been evacuated as a result.

On both sides of the border there has been heavy disruption on both the roads and railways, with one train operator issued a "do not travel" warning.

More bad weather is forecast, with the Met Office issuing an amber warning which means flooding which can be a "danger to life" can occur. This is in place in Cumbria until midnight, while a yellow warning - which is less serious but still means heavy rainfall - is in place over the south of Scotland until 6pm.

Nine flood warnings are in place in Cumbria, 14 in the Scottish Borders and three in Dumfries and Galloway.

Communities have been urged to brace themselves for what is to come, and to have a plan in place in case the worst does happen.

He added: "It is essential that you know your flood risk and have a Flood Action Plan in place, so you know what to do if flooding does happens."

His comments were echoed by Pascal Lardet, the flood watch manager for SEPA. He explained to ITV Border that river levels were expected to stabilise tonight, but also pointed out that flooding will remain a risk in the south of Scotland over the long term.

He said: "We are just at the start of the autumn. We have seen the situation today. I think people need to be vigilant and prepared, flooding cannot be completely avoided. We want people to think about preparation and taking care throughout the winter."