UK weather latest: ‘Major incident’ declared due to flooding; three-day snow warning for large parts of UK
Key points
- ‘Major incident’ declared after flooding in Greater ManchesterParts of UK battered by wind and rain on first day of 2025Three-day snow warning in UK this weekend Pictures: Cars submerged in water as roads floodWhat are weather warnings and how do they work?Live reporting by Jess Sharp and Alexandra Rogers
18:11:00 That’s the end of our live weather coverage for today
We’re now bringing our live reporting of the severe weather to a close. Here’s a round-up of the day’s events.
17:12:19 Environment Agency update on flooding in the North West
Flooding is “impacting” areas across Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, says Caroline Berry from the Environment Agency.
People are being told to stay away from swollen rivers and to not drive through floodwaters.
16:41:09 Flooding on tracks continues to disrupt train services
Passengers are being warned that many trains are still unable to run following the heavy rainfall across the North West.
Liverpool Lime Street station has posted photos on X that show the extent of the flooding in Warrington, Cheshire.
16:19:21 Ice overnight could cause travel disruption into morning
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has warned that travel into the morning could be affected by flood water icing over as temperatures drop overnight.
It comes after the Met Office issued a yellow warning for ice until 10am tomorrow for Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, the West Midlands, the North East, the North West and parts of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, parts of Scotland – including Aberdeenshire, Moray, the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands – are braced for potential snow.
The update read: “A band of rain, sleet and hill snow will clear southwards during Wednesday afternoon and evening.
“As skies clear in its wake, and with standing water following earlier rain in places, ice is likely to form quite quickly on untreated surfaces, leading to difficult travel conditions.
“Wintry showers are also likely along some north-facing coasts overnight, increasing the chance of ice in places.”
15:50:09 Firefighters rescue driver from submerged car
Firefighters have been seen rescuing a man after his car became trapped in flood water on the A555 near Bramhall, Greater Manchester.
Greater Manchester Police have warned people only to travel if it is necessary after it declared a major incident following widespread flooding.
15:23:47 MP tells people to stay away from site of ‘major incident’ in Wigan
Josh Simons, the Labour MP for Makerfield, has asked people to stay away from Platt Bridge, which has been affected by severe flooding.
“If you’re not in Platt Bridge, but you’re thinking of coming here, please don’t”, he said in a video post on X.
“If you are in Platt Bridge, and the emergency services are asking you to leave your property or to move you, please co-operate with them,” he added.
15:01:26 Roads submerged in Timperely
North of England correspondent Frazer Maude has been sending pictures of the heavy rainfall in Timperley, Greater Manchester.
14:36:04 Emergency support available for rough sleepers in Bristol
Bristol City Council and St Mungo’s charity are providing emergency support to rough sleepers due to the severe weather.
In a post on X, the council said it has activated its “severe weather emergency protocol” which will see more outreach shifts, where rough sleepers are identified and linked up with accommodation.
It comes after the UK Health Security Agency issued a yellow cold health alert for the South West, which means that there is an increased risk to life of vulnerable people.
14:17:01 More pictures emerge of floods in Greater Manchester
Sky News has seen more pictures that show flooding in Didsbury, Greater Manchester.
The North West and Wales have suffered heavy rain all morning, following a warning from the Met Office which said some parts of the North West saw almost a month’s worth of rain within 48 hours.
The worst-affected areas in Greater Manchester are Bolton, Didsbury, Harpurhey, Stalybridge, Stockport and Wigan.
13:52:04 Bad weather to disrupt Welsh rail operator until tomorrow
National Rail has warned that the bad weather will affect Transport for Wales services until tomorrow.
In an update on its website, it said: “The Met Office has issued amber and yellow weather warnings for rain, snow and wind across Great Britain.
“As a result, flooding is causing disruption to a number of routes across the Transport for Wales network. Trains may be cancelled, delayed or diverted.”
The routes affected include Shotton and Bidston, Machynlleth and Shrewsbury and Blaenau Ffestiniog and Llandudno Junction.
National Rail also said that flooding between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly means that trains will be running at a reduced speed and may be cancelled.