WIDESPREAD disruption was the legacy of the latest winter storm to hit the Cumbria coastline.

Over the night of January 2 and 3, Storm Eleanor made landfall along western parts of the UK. Dozens of weather alerts had been issued by the Met Office and Environment Agency which warned against localised flooding, and strong winds.

In south Cumbria Walney was one of the worst affected areas by the passing storm. Overnight, eyewitnesses reported long stretches of The Promenade flooding close to nearby houses overlooking the Walney Channel.

At one stage the Furness Coastguard was called out after a motorist was stranded by rising water on The Promenade. Fortunately their car was towed to safety before the storm surge reached it.

Resident Lindsey Hastie is no stranger to flooding, having lived on The Promenade since 1980. She said: "If there is torrential rain and the wind is in the right direction the drains won't take the water.

"Because my drive is sloped I don't worry too much to be honest.

"I suppose if it happens it happens but up to now I've been lucky."

Peter Clarkson, 68, also of The Promenade witnessed several emergency vehicles passing through the flooded road late in the night.

"There were fire engines knocking about. It's reassuring," he said.

Although he is a born and bred Barrovian and has seen flooding many times before, the events of Tuesday night still came as a surprise for Mr Clarkson. He continued: "In Backbarrow a couple of years back, in 2009, the Levens flooded. That was quite devastating for The Whitewater Hotel. But we've never seen it like this down here before."

Sadly, the toll of the storm was not just on locals living on Walney, but also its wildlife. One resident walking his dog near Furness Golf Club came across the body of a porpoise, beached on the shore.

Elsewhere in the county roads were left impassible due to flood waters or debris littering the road. Police described the A5087 coast road between Barrow and Ulverston as 'just passable', as was the A595 near Ravenglass. The devastation caused by the storm was keenly felt on the coastal road between Bootle and Waberthwaite. Small rocks and boulders had been washed up onto the carriageway, closing it to all drivers except those with 4x4 vehicles.

As well as the coastline being hit by tidal surges caused by Storm Eleanor, large parts of Cumbria were buffeted by up to 80mph winds. At Great Dun Fell, near Penrith, winds of 100mph were recorded at the summit.

In Barrow this led to a tree being felled in Coronation Gardens, between Emlyn Hughes House and South Cumbria Magistrates' Court. Motorists also faced disruption on the M6 when on Tuesday night an HGV was blown over near Tebay.

By 7pm on Wednesday (3) the Met Office had lifted a yellow warning it has issued 24 hours previously. With the threat of extreme weather now having passed, residents have now been told to expect colder, drier weather.

Martin Young, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "Over the next few days, the recent unsettled weather, brought by low pressure systems coming from the Atlantic will be replaced with more settled weather as an area of high pressure builds and moves across the UK."