Homes and businesses flooded after heavy rain

Several businesses were flooded in a town centre when heavy rain hit overnight into Monday.

At least eight properties in Ulverston in Cumbria are believed to have been affected.

Westmorland and Furness Council said the A595 at Duddon Bridge, Barrow, was also closed due to severe flooding, as well as King Street and areas surrounding the Gill in Ulverston.

Fiona Duke from the Environment Agency (EA) said the flooding had been caused by heavier than expected rainfall and a high volume of water in Town Beck.

Water levels in Drangley Beck at Fitz Bridge also reached record levels of 0.88m on Monday morning.

The A595 was flooded due a river bursting its banks, the council said.

King Street was hit by a burst watercourse, making the area near a school "impassable".

The EA said between five and 15 properties had been flooded in Ulverston and its teams had been working since the early hours to clear debris.

Ms Duke said: "The rainfall level surpassed our forecast. We've had over 50mm of rain over 12 hours, so that's a significant amount of rainfall in a short period of time.

"What this meant was that the water started to raise through manholes and flooded pavements and the road at the junction of Mill Street and King Street."

Westmorland and Furness Council said this time of year "poses a challenge" as leaves from trees cover drains and cause water to pool on roads.

"Heavy rain over a short period of time also overwhelms the capacity of drainage systems causing flooding," a spokesperson said.

Jenny Spedding, who runs Belle Lueur Bridal Shop, told BBC Radio Cumbria she found about 1-1.5m (3-5ft) of water in her cellar.

"We've lost everything that was down there," she said, which included dresses the shop was selling online.

Luckily the water did not affect the shop at street level, she said.

A worker at the Conti fish and chip shop in Ulverston said they had been at the business since 08:00 GMT trying to clear out water.

Another worker at Ulverston Interiors said water had "run through" the entire shop.

"It's been quite a nasty experience for a lot of people," said Ulverston Town Council leader Mark Wilson.

Earlier, police in Barrow advised people to avoid making journeys if possible and to "exercise caution" if travel is absolutely necessary.

All flood warnings were lifted by 17:00 GMT.

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