Army troops have arrived in the Cumbria to support relief efforts to protect flood-hit communities ahead of the arrival of Storm Eva, the Ministry of Defence confirmed.
93 military personnel from 2nd Battalion Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (2 LANCS) began assisting the Environment Agency with the building of flood barriers at 5am on Christmas morning in Appleby, Braithwaite and Warwick Bridge – areas that were worst affected by Storm Desmond earlier this month.
"Even at Christmas our Armed Forces are keeping us safe," defence secretary Michael Fallon said in a statement.
"Once again they are responding to the Cumbria floods with a level of commitment that is to be applauded."
Lieutenant Colonel Hamish Cormack, Commanding Officer of 2 LANCS said the army would do all it could to support families hit by storms at Christmas.
"I am proud that our soldiers are able to respond to provide help where required to those in need in Cumbria," he added.
The Met Office released an amber weather warning for rain, the second most severe, on Christmas day, as Storm Eva looked set to bring another 150mm of rain to Cumbria.
The region is already waterlogged after a month's worth of rain fell overnight in the northwest earlier in December. Many have been forced to leave their homes due to flooding.
The government is due to hold an emergency Cobra meeting today to decide to to tackle the extensive damage caused by flooding in Cumbria.