Storm Desmond
Severe gales & heavy rain to the UK in early December 2015
Deep Atlantic low pressure system east of Iceland with associated fronts stretching across Northern Britain
Localised flooding in north-west England, southern Scotland, north Wales and parts of Northern Ireland
Cumbria-more than a months rainfall in a day
Cumbria- rivers recorded the highest discharge level ever.
Honister in Cumbria received 341.1mm of rain in 24 hours
Low air pressure- 946 millibars
Fronts forced to rise across high ground of the Lake District. Convectional and Orographic precipitation
Impacts
5,200 homes flooded in Cumbria
2 deaths
40 schools closed
Routine NHS appointments cancelled
Lancaster university closed early due to power cuts
Extensive travel disruption
Government provided £50 million to Cumbria and Lancashire county council to make homes more flood resilient
Physical and human factors which increased flood risk
Soils and rocks already saturated by previous heavy rainfall in November from storm Abigail
New hard flood defences failed in cities in Northern England. Could not cope with river flow and even held water up prolonging flooding.
Deforestation and intense agriculture increased sedimentation of channels and landside risk