Flood warning siren has just gone off in Appleby #StormIsha pic.twitter.com/91PuKU2yZ8
— Simon Higgens (@simon_higgens) January 21, 2024
Appleby’s flood siren has sounded tonight as the town prepares itself for the worst of Storm Isha.
The siren was heard at 9pm to give residents warning that Appleby would soon be under siege from the storm.
Emergency services are on major incident standby as an amber weather warning came into effect at 6pm.
The River Eden in Appleby is still expected to peak at around 4.1m between 1.30am and 2.15am.
It is thought the areas set to be affected include The Sands and the bowling and cricket clubs and surrounding areas, plus Holme Street, Chapel Street and Cherry Row areas were told to expect flooding as river levels were rising rapidly and further rainfall was expected.
The Government said: “Incident response staff are closing flood gates, checking defences and liaising with emergency services and local authorities.”
Cumbria Resilience Forum said: “This storm is already causing concern – and it is expected to bring even stronger winds from 6pm tonight until 6am tomorrow.
In the immediate area, flood warnings are also in place for:
- Keswick Campsite
- River Eden at Bolton
- River Eden at Edenhall
- River Greta at Keswick, Keswick Campsite, rugby club and Quinta
Power cuts
Thousands of people across the county are experiencing power outages due to Storm Isha.
Engineers from Electricity North West are also on standby to respond but warned its customers that conditions at times may be unsafe for lines teams to climb and in some instances, power may well be off overnight and into Monday until conditions ease.
Roads
Several roads are closed due to fallen trees and debris.
The A66 between Penrith and Scotch Corner was closed to high-sided vehicles today from 7pm until 3am tomorrow, Monday January 22.
Public transport
And TransPennine Express has issued do not travel advice for people wanting to go to Edinburgh or Glasgow.
The firm said it strongly advised people delay their journeys due to significant disruption expected by Storm Isha.
