Yahoo News Storm Bert leaves thousands of Cumbria homes without power
Thousands of homes across Cumbria have been left without electricity as heavy rain and winds from Storm Bert battered the region.
The Met Office has issued a 29-hour yellow weather warning for rain and snow covering the whole of the county. It began at 4am on Saturday and is set to remain in force until 9am on Sunday.
Several areas have been hit by power cuts with Electricity North West confirming their engineers have so far restored power to more than 4,000 properties. According to the ENW website, hundreds of homes still remain without power in Penrith, Copeland, Allerdale and Eden.
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High winds, heavy rain and snow, particularly in the Workington and Penrith areas of Cumbria, has caused damage to overhead lines with flying debris and ice accumulation. Engineers had been on standby and have been out making repairs since initial reports of damage came in around 7am today (November 23).
Alan Astall, head of network control for Electricity North West, said: "We were well prepared and had all our resources lined up to repair damage and restore power where needed. The network has held up well and our automatic restoration systems have kicked in in many areas, rerouting power to customers while engineers carry out repairs.
"Our teams are working hard to restore the remaining properties today, while continuing to monitor the weather. If you have a power cut, report it online or call us on 105 so we can keep you updated.
"If you see damage to the network stay well clear as it could still be live and call us immediately on 105 so we can make it safe."
Extra support is available to customers in vulnerable circumstances, for instance those who rely on electricity for medical needs, are older, or have young children at home. You can register for Electricity North West’s free Extra Care Register here.
The Environment Agency has issued an 'act now' flood warning for Poaka Beck, The Yarl, Hagg Gill and Butts Beck at Dalton in Furness. Rising river levels are expected to cause flooding on Saturday afternoon.
The website said: "Flooding is forecast to affect locations near the Poaka Beck, The Yarl, Hagg Gill and Butts Beck, with low lying land and roads expected to be most affected, particularly around areas of the town adjacent the Cricket Ground, Football Club, Bow Bridge and Goose Green including Ulverston Road, Queen Street, Littlefields, Beckside Road, Station Road, Market Street, Glenfield, Garden Lea and Goose Green."
A separate 'be prepared' flood alert has also been issued for the Rivers Duddon, Crake and Mill Beck. Flooding is forecast to affect locations near the Rivers Duddon, Crake and Mill Beck, with low lying land and roads expected to be most affected, particularly around Rivers Duddon, Crake and Mill Beck and other watercourses, from Coniston to Barrow-in-Furness including low lying areas around Ulpha, Duddon Bridge, Broughton in Furness, Kirkby-in-Furness, Dalton in Furness and Ulverston.
