Severe weather forces residents to evacuate

The Ethrick river in flood at the Cauld in the Philiphaugh Salmon viewing centre near to Selkirk in the Scottish borders Photograph: Andrew Matthews/guardian.co.uk

Cockermouth, Cumbria: People are taken to safety in an RNLI boat Photograph: Owen Humphreys/guardian.co.uk

Cockermouth, Cumbria: A rescue boat patrols the streets Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Cockermouth, Cumbria: A man is rescued Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Cockermouth, Cumbria: A woman is taken to safety after torrential rain caused rivers to burst their banks Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Cockermouth, Cumbria: An RAF Sea King rescue helicopter hovers over a house Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Dumfries, Scotland: Members of the public look over to the river Nith, at the white sands in Dumfries Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/guardian.co.uk

Braithwaite, Cumbria: Local people try to build a makeshift flood defence barrier Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

Keswick, Cumbria: A mountain rescue worker helps a resident after the River Greta burst its banks flooding roads Photograph: Peter Byrne/guardian.co.uk

Naburn, Yorkshire: A woman carries her shopping home through rising flood waters from the River Ouse Photograph: Anna Gowthorpe/guardian.co.uk

Porthcawl, Wales: Waves crash over the harbour wall Photograph: Matt Cardy/guardian.co.uk

Keswick, Cumbria: Roads are closed as the River Gare bursts over a retaining wall in the Lake District Photograph: Christopher Furlong/guardian.co.uk

Keswick, Cumbria: A resident braves rising flood waters Photograph: Christopher Furlong/guardian.co.uk

Keswick, Cumbria: The River Gare bursts over a retaining wall Photograph: Christopher Furlong/guardian.co.uk

Rescue services navigate flood waters in Cockermouth as they work to rescue stranded residents from their homes Photograph: Scott Heppell/guardian.co.uk

People in the village of Cockermouth are rescued from their homes by members of the RNLI, who were mobilised to help residents after heavy rain caused local flooding Photograph: Scott Heppell/guardian.co.uk

A person is winched to safety by a Sea King helicopter over Cockermouth Photograph: Owen Humphreys/guardian.co.uk

The destroyed Northside bridge, in Workington as floods submerge large parts of Cumbria Photograph: Peter Byrne/guardian.co.uk

Rescue workers continue their search on November in the flooded town of Cockermouth Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/guardian.co.uk

Rescue personnel do a door-to-door search for trapped people in the High Street of Cockermouth Photograph: Christopher Furlong/guardian.co.uk

Firefighters and RNLI personnel rescue Pat Edwards, aged 81, from her home in the centre of Cockermouth Photograph: Christopher Furlong/guardian.co.uk

The river Tweed at Boleside near Selkirk in the Scottish borders Photograph: Andrew Matthews/guardian.co.uk

A rescue helicopter hovers above a flooded area as residents of Cockermouth are rescued by emergency services, Cumbria Photograph: Brian Stewart/guardian.co.uk

Engineers survey the scene after a bridge over the River Derwent collapsed suddenly after heavy rainfall and flooding in Workington Photograph: Chris Clark/guardian.co.uk

The River Cocker rages past homes in the centre of Cockermouth in Keswick Photograph: Christopher Furlong/guardian.co.uk

Flood waters begin to recede after heavy rains in the flooded town of Cockermouth Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/guardian.co.uk