One in a thousand years' occurrence

Flood defences in Cumbrian towns were overwhelmed by unprecedented downpours that officials said could be expected only once in a thousand years.

The Meteorological Office said the amount of rain expected during the entire month of November had fallen in 24 hours, with the Environment Agency reporting 314mm had fallen in one area which it said was a record for England.

"It was described to me this morning, this particular flood, as of biblical proportions," said Tony Cunningham, MP for Workington, one of the worst affected towns. "That gives you some idea of the scale and the force of the devastation," he told Sky News.

Lifeboats and Royal Air Force helicopters were used to rescue hundreds of people from their homes in towns and villages across the Lake District.