Activists have urged politicians to ramp up their response to tackling climate change as Storm Ciara battered Cumbria for a second day.

While homeowners and business owners in Appleby assessed the cost of the damage caused when the River Eden burst its banks at the weekend – other parts of Cumbria were also left shattered by the devastating impact of Storm Ciara.

Several villages in Eden – including Shap, Bolton, Cliburn and Moorland – found themselves cut off by flood water.

Firefighters and other members of the emergency services have fought valiantly around the clock to prevent flooding to homes and businesses across the district, Carlisle, Allerdale and South Lakeland.

However, the situation only adds pressure to local and national government to accelerate their response to the climate emergency, said Extinction Rebellion.

Dr Steve Johnson, of Extinction Rebellion’s Furness branch, said: “Communities have faced ‘once-in-a-hundred-year floods’ twice in five years.

“This has to be further evidence of the need to act now. In the past two days we have yet again seen people in local communities leaving their flooded homes while rail and other transport failed.

“Let’s hold our politicians to account. The Prime Minister has the ideal opportunity, ahead of COP 26, the UN climate talks in Glasgow in November, to make sure the UK is leading the world’s response to the emergency.”

“While flood water has started to recede and clean up operations begin, the impact is yet to be felt for many days and months to come, with residents on Warwick Road counting their blessings after they were spared yet more food damage.

The storm continued to cause disruption to rail and bus services during Monday with scores of road closures in place across the county.

Up to 400 residential and business premises have been affected by damage to a water main pipe.

Home and business owners have been warned not to use tap water for drinking, washing or cooking as a precautionary measure after it detected ‘higher levels of chlorine than usual’.

Earlier in the day United Utilities advised residents in areas including Shap, Penrith, Tebay, Appleby, Clifton and Kirkby Stephen that there may be a shortage of water following the damage to the pipe located on the bed of Crookdale Beck, near Selside to the north of Kendal.

Fast flowing water – which caused the damage in the first place – along with poor weather conditions and difficult access for large diggers needed to undertake the repair work were seriously affecting progress on the repairs, said UU.

Water stations have been set up at locations in the affected areas.

Environment Agency chief said Carlisle’s flood defences worked to prevent flooding to properties in Warwick Road and other areas hit during Storm Desmond in December 2015.

Flood water also stopped just inches from entering homes and businesses in Kendal, which was also hit hard four years ago.

Local MP Tim Farron said the close shave demonstrated the pressing need to deliver new flood defences for the town.

“It’s been four long years since Storm Desmond destroyed homes and businesses across our area, and the Environment Agency finally have a fully funded scheme ready to go,” he said.

“Now is not the time for dither and delay, but for action. We owe it to our friends and neighbours whose lives were turned upside back in 2015, and who live in fear every time there is heavy rainfall, to get these flood defences built and I will be making that case directly to the minister this afternoon.”

At the time of writing four flood warnings had been issued by the Environment Agency including for the coastline from Gretna to Silloth, St Bees Head to Millom, Keswick Campsite and the River Eden at Carlisle.

A further 15 flood alerts had also been issued covering areas already affected along with the coast at Barrow, the Duddon Estuary and across north stretches of Morecambe Bay.

Meanwhile, figures show the sheer volume of rainfall and the speed of winds that wreaked havoc on across the county on Sunday.

Honister Pass recorded a massive 178mm of rain over 24 hours, while Burnbanks recorded 172mm and Shap more than 127mm.

Winds of up to 97mph were recorded on Great Dun Fell in the Penrith area, while wind speeds reached 61mph at Ste Bees Head in the west of the county.