Weather forecast live: Three day snow warning for most of England as floods lead to major incident in Manchester

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On Wednesday evening, Chief Superintendent Colette Rose said: “We are continuing to monitor the whole of Greater Manchester as we look to co-ordinate the emergency response involving a variety of services.

“Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have been key to this to ensure we can keep those people and communities safe after the severe weather we have had.

“Thankfully, due to the efforts of all involved so far no one has been seriously injured or come to harm and would like to thank members of the public for their continued co-operation especially around the road closures in place and looking out for each other.

“Anyone still affected should continue to check the relevant detail being shared by their local council, the fire service and Transport for Greater Manchester to ensure they can get the support available that may be needed.”

A major incident has been declared in Greater Manchester after flooding forced homes to be evacuated and closed train lines and roads following heavy rain.

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A three-day snow warning has been issued for much of Britain, with temperatures set to plunge this weekend – bringing misery to areas already hit by flooding in the wake of high winds and torrential rain.

Britain began the new year with weather alerts in place across large swathes of the country, including more than 170 flood warnings in England, Scotland and Wales.

A yellow warning is in place from noon on Saturday until 9am on Monday and covers all regions of England except the South West, the majority of Wales and parts of southern Scotland.

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About 5cm of snow is expected widely across the Midlands, Wales and northern England, the Met Office has said.

As much as 20-30cm could be seen over high ground in Wales and/or the Pennines, the forecaster added.

• A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place covering northern Scotland until 10am on Thursday, as rain turning to snow is likely to lead to some travel disruption and difficult driving conditions, the Met Office said.
• Meanwhile, a yellow warning for ice has been issued from 4pm on Wednesday until 10am on Thursday, covering Northern Ireland, parts of North Wales, England and Scotland, which could also lead to difficult travel conditions.
• And a three-day yellow warning for snow has been issued for almost all of England and Wales and parts of Scotland this weekend as the Met Office warned that rural communities could become cut off. The yellow warning is in place from noon on Saturday until 9am on Monday and covers all regions of England other than the South West, the majority of Wales and parts of southern Scotland.

“Significant inland flooding” is possible after “heavy and persistent rain” and river levels will remain high across parts of the north of England until Thursday, according to a flood duty manager at the Environment Agency.

Ben Lukey said: “Environment Agency teams will be out on the ground, operating flood defences, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding, issuing flood warnings and supporting those communities affected.

“We advise anyone travelling or out celebrating the new year to be especially careful and urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through floodwater as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.”

Some parts of the North West saw almost a month’s worth of rain within 48 hours, according to the Met Office.

And that was before the North West and Wales were lashed by more heavy rain on Wednesday.

Honister Pass in Cumbria saw nearly 6in (150mm) of rain, while Rochdale in Greater Manchester had 3in (77mm).

The Met Office has forecast a sunny morning for many across the UK.

Writing on X, the weather service said: “Thursday morning will start frosty, though clear or sunny for many

“Some ice and wintry showers, especially in the north.”