Environmental campaigners say Storm Desmond is a sign of things to come

Met Office says north England and parts of Scotland should remain vigilant as figures show up to 100mm more rain has fallen than is expected for December

Six years after an unnamed storm wreaked havoc across Cumbria, Storm Desmond struck the county with fearsome impact once again.

Those who had their homes flooded or were forced to wade waist-deep to seek drier ground will not have had time to make immediate comparisons, nor consider deeply whether it is all down to climate change.