Images of the flooding and devastation caused by Storm Desmond as David Cameron holds emergency meetings

Over the weekend, parts of northern England and Scotland experienced flooding on a scale rarely seen as Storm Desmond's record rainfall wreaked havoc on the country and devastated thousands of homes.

Response to the disaster has been swift. In Carlisle, one of the worst affected areas, over 30 schools have been closed and Lancaster University has cancelled classes for the rest of the term after it lost all power on campus.

David Cameron also chaired an emergency meeting on Monday morning in order to assess response to the floods amid calls for government funding of repairs. On Twitter, the prime minister assured followers that "everything is being done to help those affected by Storm Desmond."