Paul RathboneEmergency teams have said they are on standby for a “major incident” as torrential rain hits Cumbria.
The Met Office has issued an amber warning of rain between 06:00 GMT on Sunday and 18:00 on Monday.
It means areas such as Workington, Whitehaven, Cockermouth, Keswick, Ambleside and Windermere could see fast-flowing or deep floodwater, causing a danger to life.
Cumbria Police warned of difficult driving conditions, wider travel disruption, possible power outages and potential flooding of homes and businesses.
More than 200mm of rain could fall in some places, particularly in the western parts of the region, the Met Office said.
Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association urged people to “be aware” and not to drive on flooded roads and not to go around barricades.
Cockermouth Emergency Response Group urged people in flood risk areas to make sure emergency packs were up to date.
Keswick Flood Action Group also posted on Facebook that “Sunday morning through until early Monday evening is a real cause for concern for us and everyone is getting prepared”.
Borrowdale Christmas Market, which was due to run on Sunday, has been cancelled “for everyone’s safety”.
‘Check on relatives’
Rail operator Avanti West Coast warned that services north of Preston were likely to be affected, while Network Rail urged passengers to check before they travel.
Network Rail also urged passengers to check ahead of their journeys.
Ch Supt Carl Patrick, of Cumbria Police, asked people to ensure they were prepared should power outages occur and to check on vulnerable relatives, friends or neighbours ahead of the bad weather.
Cumberland Council said agencies across Cumbria had “declared themselves on standby for a major incident ahead of heavy and persistent rainfall forecast”.
Westmorland and Furness Council said its highways service “have increased resources on standby” ready to respond to flooding on the roads.
Gulley wagons will also be deployed to tackle any highways flooding caused by over capacity drains or standing water issues, the local authority said.
“With over 200mm of rain forecast and the ground already saturated from recent rainfall, we are expecting localised flooding and surface water,” a spokesperson added.
