Thousands without power as storm hits Cumbria

Thousands of homes were without power as Storm Darragh battered Cumbria, causing travel disruption, cancellations and flood warnings.

Homes in Egremont, Seascale and Colton were among those hit with power cuts.

Electricity North West said the challenge was ensuring the safety of its staff working on the repairs in high winds.

The Met Office has issued wind warnings for the whole county, with flood warnings and alerts also in place.

Chris Fox, from Electricity North West, said: "The challenge that we've got is the conditions out there.

"We have to make sure that it is safe for our people out there making sure the supplies come back on."

About 2,000 homes were earlier without power across the county, with many having their power restored later in the afternoon.

An amber warning for wind is in place for the full length of the Cumbrian coast until 21:00 GMT.

The rest of the county is covered by a yellow wind warning until 06:00 on Sunday, the Met Office said.

Police closed a road at Bookwell, in Egremont, after the weather toppled a wall at Bookwell Primary School.

A spokesman said: "It is not safe for traffic or pedestrians to access.

"We will work as fast as possible to get the road cleared."

A section of the A590 at Levens is closed after an HGV jack-knifed across the road, Cumbria Police said.

The vehicle is blocking both westbound lanes and the road will remain closed until it is recovered, a spokesman added.

There are reports of flooding on the A592 at Newby Bridge as well as on the A593 between Coniston and Skelwith.

National Highways announced earlier the A66 would be closed from 07:00 in both directions between Augill Beck and Scotch Corner.

The Windermere ferry is not operating due to high winds.

Cumberland Council is advising people to check its live weather cameras, which cover roads right across the county, and to check conditions before travelling.

There is a flood warning for Keswick campsite, with eight flood alerts also in place across Cumbria, including for the Lower River Eden in Carlisle, the River Kent in Kendal and the River Ehen near Gosforth.

Several events have been cancelled or postponed, including a fireworks display in Whitehaven and the Taste Cumbria festival in Cockermouth.

The Carlisle United game against Newport County has also been called off.

The Blues were due to travel to Wales for the clash, but the country was earlier covered by a rare red weather warning.

Storm Darragh strikes the UK on the same date as Storm Desmond hit in 2015, which was described as the largest to affect Cumbria in 600 years.

Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].