Last updated 13:00, Sunday, 05 October 2008

PEOPLE in the Keswick area have been on flood alert overnight but it appears the threat is now subsiding.

The Environment Agency upgraded Keswick Campsite’s flood watch alert to a flood warning late yesterday. The warning, which means flooding of homes and businesses is expected, was still in force at 10am today.

Keswick was one of seven areas of the country this morning still on a higher level of flood alert after heavy rain yesterday.

There were also 75 flood watches in place, 20 of them in the North West.

They cover Cumbria’s rivers including the Eden, Caldew, Petteril, Lowther and Eamont, Esk and Irthing, Cocker, Marron and Derwent as well as the Wampool, Ellen, Ehen, Calder, Irt, Esk in the west of the county.

The Lake District flooding hot-spots of the Greta, St Johns Beck and Bassenthwaite Lake as well as Stonethwaite Beck, Derwent Water and the upper River Derwent are also among the alerts as are the rivers Brathay, Rothay, Winster, Duddon, Crake and Mill Beck in the south of the county.

Yet at 10am today the middle stretch of the River Eden in north Cumbria had been given the all clear by the Environment Agency - an indication of improvement.

The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for the North West today. Cheshire and Greater Manchester are expected to be worst hit.

Heavy rain is predicted to continue during the morning but the Met Office forecasts that rain will clear from the west later.

Yesterday  motorists across Cumbria were affected by the persistent heavy downpours while Cumbria’s rivers remained on the lowest level of flood alert.

On the roads, a 50mph speed limit was introduced on stretches of the M6 where spray was posing a problem for motorists.

Other flood affected routes included the A6 north of Plumpton, near Penrith; the B5305 at Crown Point and Unthank; Pennine Way in Harraby, Carlisle; the A685 near Tebay; Glebe Road in Bowness on Windermere; the A591 Brockhole junction and the A591 St Johns in the Vale junction and the B5289 between Grange and Rosthwaite.

In West Cumbria, roads between Broughton Moor, Dovenby and Maryport were affected by standing flood water as were Lowca Lane, Seaton; Workington road in Flimby and the road from Crosby Villa to Bullgill.