Latest updates from BBC Cumbria Live (2024)

BBC Weather

Although it may be dry for a time early tonight, some patchy rain and showers are likely to move in from the south-west later, with lowest temperatures from 6C to 9C (43F to 48F).

You can always find the latest, hour-by-hour, weather forecast for where you are, here.

A woman who developed depression after losing her son says growing plants helps her mental health.

Police say the woman who died in a crash on the M6 at the weekend was heading back to Manchester after taking two of her grandchildren for a weekend in Cumbria.

Martina Taylor, 62, died when her motorhome was in collision with a car on the southbound M6 near Carlisle, on Saturday.

The two children were slightly injured.

In a tribute released through police, her family said: "She was much loved by her mumand siblings and leaves behind a devastated family, including three children,five grandchildren and friends.”

Nameplates from Virgin Pendolino trains are being auctioned off by the train operating company.

One of the nameplates is Cumbrian Spirit, which was so-called to celebrate the resilience of the county during Storm Desmond.

The company, which has just lost the franchise to run trains on the West Coast Main Line, says money raised by the sale will be given to the Teenage Cancer Trust, external.

The plates are being replaced when the trains are repainted, and the auction is by sealed bids to be emailed to the company, external by 6 September.

This August is already one of the wettest five on record in Cumbria, according to Meteogroup which provides weather forecasting services for the BBC.

Sapdeadam has already recorded the wettest August in 15 years with 251.2mm (9.8in), Carlisle has already had the fourth wettest August since 1962, with 147.6mm (5.8in), and Keswick, with 185.6mm (7.3in) has measured its third wettest August since records began in 1989.

Martin Lewes
Reporter

Two hundred rare white-clawed crayfish had to be carefully caught and moved to enable Network Rail to strengthen a viaduct on the West Coast Main Line near Kendal.

The Docker Garths viaduct, which is 173 years old and grade II listed for its historic interest, needed boulders placing around its foundations to stop Flodder Beck undermining it.

The crayfish, which are an endangered species, were moved downstream, along with another 400 less rare fish.

Work on the viaduct should be finished by the end of the month.

Mental health workers in the area covered by the charity Mind in West Cumbria say they will try to keep some of its threatened services going.

The organisation says it will have to close to the end of September because it no longer has the resources to provide the services it wants to, or to meet the requirements of the national charity.

Janet Morgan runs Mind drop-in sessions in Wigton Methodist Church and says some of those who've relied on the charity may turn instead to stretched NHS emergency services, or harm themselves.

Cumbria's Chief Constable, Michelle Skeer, has been appointed the new president of the British Association for Women in Policing.

Chief Constable Skeer takes over from Chief Constable Dee Collins from West YorkshirePolice.

She said: "I have been passionate about making it easier forothers who have followed me, so I have championed issues within the force, whether it be part-time working, job share, buddy schemes, mentoring/ coachingor uniform issues."

BBC Weather

A few showers are possible this afternoon, but in general most places should become dry and bright with spells of sunshine.

There will be generally gentle winds and highest temperatures from 14C to 17C (57F to 63F).

You can always find the latest, detailed, BBC weather forecast for where you are, here.

Two Lake District mountain rescue teams were alerted last night after a 15-year-old boy became separated from his family on a walk in the Langdales.

Volunteers from the Langdale-Ambleside, external and Keswick, external teams were called, along with search and rescue dogs, and started searching the areas around the top of Great Langdale and Borrowdale, but after a couple of hours he was found making his own way down Rossett Ghyll.

Katy Booth
Reporter, BBC News Online

The skip lorry that ended up jammed underneath a railway bridge on Parkside Road in Kendal has now been dragged free.

Network Rail engineers have checked the structure, and said trains can continue to run, and the road has also been reopened.

The driver was not seriously injured.

The Aberdeen-based firm sells to a US firm to concentrate on other opportunities

Jade Taylorson
BBC Cumbria reporter

There's an attempt to raise more than £100,000 to improve a playground in a West Cumbrian village.

Crosscanonby Parish Council is trying to raise the money to spend on a play park in Crosby, near Maryport, adding modern, accessible play and fitness equipment for people of all ages.

Sarah Morgan, who's on the fundraising committee, says the plans are about more than just extending the play park, because there are a number of children locally with disabilities who cannot use the existing play area.

Extra delays may affect the M6 through South Cumbria during the August Bank Holiday weekend, because a contraflow between junctions 36 and 37 will stay in place.

Highways England engineers say they have found extra work is needed to repair wear and tear under the surface, and while most lane closures across the UK are being suspended over the holidays, those in the Killington area will remain.

The work is expected to be finished by mid-September.

• Temperatures at 3,000ft (900m): 7C to 9C (45F to 48F)
• Winds: Westerly to south-westerly gusting to 30mph to 35mph
• Cloud base: Initially at 1,300ft to 2,000ft (400m to 600m), locally lower in any hill fog or showers, rising so by late afternoon the bases will be at 2,600ft to 3,300ft (800m to 1,000m), above the summits
• Visibility: Generally good, but poor in any hill fog early on, as well as in any showers
• Pollen: Low UV: Moderate

Our thanks to Carolyn Farthing for this shot down Ullswater to Glenridding.

If you read the travel news about the skip lorry that has managed to jam itself under a low railway bridge on Parkside Road in Kendal, you may have wondered what that looks like.

Luckily, Cumbria County Council did, too.

BBC News Travel

Parkside Road in Kendal has a skip lorry jammed underneath the railway bridge, so the road is blocked in both directions.

News and Star
Newspaper

Plans to turn an iconic Cockermouth property into seven residential flats, external has been met with a positive reaction from residents and businesses.

BBC Weather

It will be a rather cloudy, wet morning with further outbreaks of rain, although these should break up to reveal some sunny spells and a few showers

Highest temperatures will be from 14C to 17C (57F to 63F).

You can always find the latest, hour-by-hour, BBC weather forecast for where you are, here.

Martin Lewes
Reporter

Good morning: We'll be keeping you up to date with the news and other interesting information from around the county through the day.

If there's news you think we should know or you want to share a photo you've taken in the county, let us know by sending an email, on Facebook, external, or on Twitter, external.