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Archive Cat 5 · Extreme

Storm Desmond

4–6 December 2015 · 2015-16 season · named by Met Office · England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland

112 mphmax gust
341 mmpeak rainfall
293flood warnings & alerts
3UK deaths
A landmark rainfall event that set the UK 24-hour rainfall record of 341.4mm at Honister Pass, causing catastrophic flooding across Cumbria (Carlisle, Kendal, Keswick, Appleby), Lancashire and the Scottish Borders; about 5,200 homes flooded and damage exceeded GBP 870 million.

Flood footprintstorm total

57severe warnings
143flood warnings
93flood alerts
212areas
34counties
89rivers & seas

Worst-hit areas

  • Lower River Tees and Estuarine Tributaries3
  • River Eden at Carlisle, Rickerby Park, Swifts and Stoneyholme Golf Courses3
  • River Eden at Carlisle, Tesco Store Warwick Road3
  • River Wyre at St Michaels South3
  • Appleby, Holme and Chapel Street and Cherry Row2
  • Lower River Coquet2

Counties

  • Cumberland98
  • Westmorland and Furness67
  • North Yorkshire46
  • Northumberland36
  • Lancashire34
  • County Durham16

Rivers & seas

  • River Eden47
  • River Kent16
  • River Greta15
  • River Tyne15
  • River Wyre10
  • River Swale9

Flood mapthe storm's flood footprint

Red/amber rings mark rivers that reached or came close to their own high level during the storm — the most direct evidence of likely flooding (the gauge measures the river, not any one property). Solid dots mark each flood area's reference point, coloured by the most severe warning raised there — a warning means flooding was expected. Shaded shapes are the Environment Agency's recorded flood outlines: land actually observed flooded, published retrospectively (updated quarterly). England data only.

The rainstorm-total by gauge

GaugeTotal mm
Thirlmere St Johns Beck 467.8
Honister 440.0
Brotherswater 437.9
Dale Head 398.2
Wet Sleddale 361.0
Burnbanks 333.2
Ennerdale Black Sail 295.2
Seathwaite Farm 292.8
Orton - Shallowford 291.4
Brathay Hall 289.6
Demings Moss 289.4
High Row 276.6

The riverspeak vs warning level

StationPeak% of warning
Castle Foregate · Bagley Brook 1.58 m 367%
Brookhouse Farm · Ford Green Brook 3.21 m 338%
Thirlmere · St Johns Beck 3.26 m 326%
Sands Centre, Carlisle · River Eden 7.90 m 316%
Waren Mill · Waren Burn 1.17 m 300%
Lodore · Derwentwater 4.03 m 288%
High River Keer · River Keer 2.58 m 287%
Riding Mill · River Tyne 5.99 m 285%
Stock Beck, Jewsons Yard · Stock Beck 1.69 m 282%
Far Sawrey · Windermere 2.82 m 282%
Portinscale · River Derwent 3.73 m 281%
Roe Bridge · River Brock 4.20 m 280%

Gauge records cover 3–7 December 2015 (the storm window ± a day). Frozen 3 Jul 2026.

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FloodRadar compiles Environment Agency warning history, gauge data and public reporting. It is not an emergency service and does not replace official flood warnings — always follow official guidance during a storm.