The A595 road has reopened after it was closed in two places due to flooding.

A number of roads have been affected by heavy rainfall overnight, with firefighters attending the A595 at Bootle where the road was blocked because of severe flooding. Corney Fell was also understood to be unpassable and a multi-agency task force has been set up.

The A595 was closed in two places, at Bootle and Duddon Bridge, after flash floods led to evacuations and rescues. As of 1.50pm, the road is understood to have reopened.

WATCH VIDEO OF FLOODING ON THE A595

A flood rescue boat from Cumbria Fire and Rescue in Workington is understood to be in Bootle .


Bootle Stores Bootle Stores was flooded this morning but is still open to customers.

Lauren Parkinson, who works at the store, says the situation is serious.

She said: "As far as I'm aware houses are being evacuated. The rain has subsided but the rivers are still pretty high.

"We're just trying to help people out as much as we can with things like sandbags."

The A5087 Coast Road was also affected and there was surface water on several stretches of the A590 between Barrow and Ulverston .

MOTORIST RESCUED FROM SUBMERGED CAR

Duddon Bridge on the A595 is also affected, with the river level rising. Firefighters from Barrow and Ulverston were called to rescue a man from a submerged car at Duddon Bridge.

Jo McGrath, from Coniston, had just been to drop her mother off in Broughton and was heading towards Corney Fell when she spotted the car stuck in floodwater.
The submerged car

She said: "I saw the car along the way and saw that the lights were on. I didn't know if anyone was in it and I couldn't get a signal on my phone.

"There was a car further up the road which was all steamed up and people there were getting changed and had sticks by the car, so I assumed they had gone to check if anyone was in it.

"The fire brigade turned up so I left.

"There has been times when it's been like that before and there have been times when it's been worse than that but you don't usually see someone in the water with lights on in the car."

Highways England is reporting heavy congestion on the A590 between the junctions for the A5087/B5281 and the A5087.

RIVER LEVELS

The River Leven at Newby Bridge is at a level which makes flooding possible.

The River Duddon at Broughton is within a normal range but Brown Howe at Coniston and Cunsey Beck at Near Sawrey was rising as of 3pm.

M6 MOTORWAY LANE CLOSURES

One lane was closed on the M6 southbound at Junction 34 because of flooding. At 10am, firefighters were called to a collision on the M6 southbound between junctions 36 and 35. One casualty suffered minor injuries.

Surface water in Watery Lane, Ulverston .

Flooding in Priory Road and Dragley Beck in Ulverston .

ROAD CLOSURE IN BROUGHTON

Motorists in Broughton will be hit by delays as work is carried out to install a new water connection.

A section of the C5009 near the A595 junction will be restricted as the work takes place. Roughly 90 metres of road travelling westbound will be closed.

Drivers have been advised to find alternate routes where possible. The work will start on Monday August 22 and will take up to three days.

RESIDENTS WARNED OF POSSIBLE FLOODING


Residents in Askam, Broughton, Kirkby and Millom are being warned of the possibility of flooding.

Heavy rainfall overnight, which has continued this morning, has led to the Environment Agency issuing a flood alert for the rivers Duddon , Crake and Mill Beck .

In its alert, the Environment Agency said: "River levels have risen in response to the overnight rain. The rain is forecast to pass over the area later this morning, with the rest of the day being much drier. The Environment Agency continues to monitor the situation."

WEATHER FORECAST

Heavy rain is forecast for most of the morning, but by lunchtime it is set to clear.

MILLOM AND BROUGHTON SHOW

Organisers of Millom and Broughton Show, set to take place this Saturday, is still scheduled to go ahead.

KIRKBY

Parts of the A595 through Kirkby have also been affected by flooding.

Bob Morrish, Kirkby resident and Kirkby and Ireleth Parish clerk, said the roads haven't been this bad in years.
Bob Morrish

He said: "We've had a few floods this morning but the traffic seems to be getting through but it's going very slowly on the A595 and also on the road into Kirkby.

"It's really quite bad. I've been up and around in the car and it's appalling. The water that's coming off the fells is quite amazing.

"It hasn't been this bad for a couple of years but I can hear fire engines and there's plenty of police about so something is being done."

RAIL SERVICES


Barrow railway station A number of rail services were cancelled or delayed because of flooding on the line.

Services between Carlisle and Barrow are returning to normal following a signalling problem at St Bees and flooding between Bootle and Silecroft. Delays of up to 60 minutes may still occur until approximately 2pm.

Heavy rain has flooded the railway between Lancaster and Preston causing disruption to journeys between these stations. This was cleared by 2.45pm.