More stormy weather is hitting the local area this weekend - prompting a warning from forecasters and local police.
The Met Office has issued a yellow alert for wind, with storm force gales along parts of the coast and on the hills. A yellow weather warning for rain will also be in place until Sunday afternoon.
Drivers are being warned about surface water flooding by Highways England, and flood alerts have been issued for rivers across North Lancashire, Furness and the Lake District by the Environment Agency.
Jeremy Westgarth from Environment Agency , said: “River levels across Cumbria and Lancashire are already high and are expected to rise with this further heavy rainfall, bringing with them a significant risk of flooding that could cause major disruption to roads and travel. We are working closely with the emergency services and partners to prepare ahead of the weekend. Our teams are already in action clearing watercourses, maintaining existing defences and deploying temporary defences where these can be effective.
“We urge people not drive through flood water: just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car."
Speed restrictions are being put in place across large sections of the railway in the north west of England.
From 10pm on Friday until midday on Sunday, Network Rail is setting a 50mph speed limit on the West Coast main line between Preston and Carlisle and a 40mph limit on other lines in the area.
Bosses say it's to protect railway staff and passengers as high winds and heavy rain pose the risk of landslides, fallen trees and other damage to the railway.
Martin Frobisher, route managing director for Network Rail, said: “We care about the safety of passengers and staff. These speed restrictions over the weekend are to protect anyone on the railway from the forecasted high winds and heavy rain. This will add time to some journeys and may lead to some services being cancelled but I can assure passengers this is for their safety.
“We are working with train operators to minimise the impact as much as possible and will lift the restrictions as soon as the weather calms and it is safe to do so. We will have extra staff on duty across the network to tackle any issues which may arise. I thank passengers in advance for their patience and understanding and urge them to check for the latest information before travelling and allow extra time to complete their journeys.”
The speed restrictions are:
- 50mph in both directions on the West Coast main line between Preston and Carlisle
- 40mph in both directions between Barrow and Carlisle
- 40mph in both directions between Carlisle and Leeds
- 40mph in both directions between Lancaster / Morecambe and Leeds
- 40mph in both directions between Preston / Blackburn and – Leeds / York
You can keep up with the latest weather alerts from the Met Office by clicking here.
You can keep an eye on flood alerts from the Environment Agency by clicking here.