Carlisle itself is a disaster area. Keswick, Kendal, Cockermouth, Appleby, Corbridge have also suffered a lot of damage, many flooded properties, cars washed away, businesses flooded. Many roads and bridges across the region severely damaged. No trains north of Preston for at least another couple of days. Thousands of homes in Lancaster have been without power and will be until Tuesday. Power cuts elsewhere - Weardale, Co Durham - now coming back online.
Newcastleton, Hawick, Dumfries are also affected; I'm not sure how widespread and how devastatingly other areas in Southern Scotland have been hit.
I have heard from some - but not all - of the sheepkeepers we know in Cumbria and Northumberland and no losses reported so far, although there are a lot of flooded fields and people may be stranded for another day or two.
I haven't heard from anyone west of Carlisle.
There are some heartwrenching stories and pictures now getting posted of dogs and ponies that were washed away. And lots of people in Carlisle who've been evacuated / rescued very worried about cats they've had to leave behind - the emergency services have asked people to not try to get back to their houses yet as the water is still too deep and full of hazards.
So far, there seems to have been no loss of human life, for which we must be very grateful and thank the rescue teams, service personnel and emergency services folks not just from our own region but from all over the country - there was a team from Weston-Super-Mare helping in Carlisle, and many from Manchester, Cheshire, the Peak District etc helping our own local teams.
They've rescued livestock where they've come across them, too. Heroes.
Local commentators have been describing it as 'all the extreme weather events we've had in the region over the last decade, all rolled up into one and happening over one night.'
There's more rain forecast for tomorrow and Thursday - not major quantities this time, but coming on top of uncleared existing floods, could cause further misery.
Hoping all in the affected areas are safe and warm, and their livestock safe also.
Topic: The weather! (Read 7288 times)
