MEMBERS of the public have been warned to avoid low lying footpaths near watercourses with river levels having risen at the Victoria Bridge, Mint Bridge, and Sedgwick river gauges.

An Environment Agency (EA) spokesperson said affected areas would be low-lying land and roads in the Staveley, Ings, Burneside, Kendal, Garnett Bridge, Stainton, Sedgwick, Holme, Beetham and Milnthorpe areas.

They added high river levels were possible on the Rivers Bela, Kent, Gowan, Sprint and Mint as well as at Stock Beck, Stainton Beck, Peasey Beck, Farleton Beck, and their tributaries. 

The spokesperson said further rainfall was forecast overnight until around 6am tomorrow morning, with river levels set to peak this evening at around 10pm, adding the EA did "not expect any flood warning triggers to be reached".