George Osborne has announced a £50m fix and renew scheme for Cumbria and Lancashire in the wake of the floods, promising businesses and homeowners they will quickly receive the help that they need.
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It came after Storm Desmond brought record levels of rainfall to the North of England and Scotland, causing already swollen rivers to burst their banks.
A Met Office spokesman said: “There remains considerable uncertainty around the locations to be most affected by this system but further heavy rainfall looks likely across central and southern Scotland and northwest England”.
“When it comes to rebuilding the infrastructure of Cumbria and Lancashire and other areas affected we are assessing now the damage to the flood defences and the damage to the roads and funds will be made available”.
Cumbria Police said its estimated worst-case scenario was that as many as 6,425 homes were flooded in the county after Desmond struck.
A further loss of power supply to 42,000 homes and businesses in Lancaster, Morecambe and Carnforth took place at 4pm due to “unforeseen flood damage” at a substation in Lancaster, said Electricity North West.
· Support people as they protect their homes against future floods by providing grants of up to £5,000, so they can install new flood barriers, replace doors and windows with water-resistant alternatives, or move electricity sockets up to a safer level.
The Chancellor used the opportunity to update MPs on the status of the situation in the worst affected areas and to announce the additional funding.
Virgin Trains said it is hopeful the main west coast rail route will be reopened by noon, after flood water north of Carlisle fell quicker than predicted.
Three lives have been claimed by the recent extreme weather.
Police said they believed one man was killed in London, which also experienced high winds, after he was blown into the side of a moving bus.
Earlier in the morning, Cumbria Police have confirmed that a body of a male have been found in River Kent, and the body has been recovered Monday afternoon. In fact we’re increasing real term spending on building our flood defences.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has said day-to-day spending on flood management was expected to be £695m in 2015/16, having been £811m the previous year.
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The meeting was called after storms battered the country overnight, killing one man and leaving hundreds of homes flooded and without power.
The company added: “Around 500 customers are without a landline in Glenridding after the collapse of Pooley Bridge, which carried BT cabling”.
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Members of the British army assist the emergency services in a flooded street in Carlisle, northern …
