Even as Tamil Nadu tries to pick up the pieces after floods ravaged the state last week, halfway across the world, parts of the United Kingdom have had to deal with a deluge of their own over the last three days.

On Saturday, Storm Desmond hit the United Kingdom and brought with it strong winds and torrential rain that have caused heavy flooding in parts the country. Hospital services and transport services have been badly hit, with no trains currently running between England and Scotland. A number of flights have either been cancelled or diverted.

More than 60,000 homes were without power on Sunday afternoon and residents were warned that power may not be restored for a number of days in some areas.

The British government has confirmed that there have been a "number of fatalities", but refused to reveal an exact figure.

In a similarity with Chennai, some areas received more than one month's rain in 24 hours. The northern parts of England and parts of Scotland were the worst-affected, with 341.4 mm of rain recorded in the county of Cumbria. Water levels reached the first floor of homes in areas of Cumbria and Northumberland.

Rescue and evacuation services have employed boats and helicopters to bring people to safety.Flood warnings continue to be remain in place across the country.

Just as the Tamil Nadu governmetn has faced criticism over its poor drainage systems, the British government has drawn flak as multimillion-pound defences have failed to contain the flood damage.