UK weather LIVE: Heavy flooding and ice hit UK as 43 areas still on high alert

Residents were also evacuated from a block of flats in Meadow Mill, Stockport.

The North West and Wales saw heavy rain on Wednesday, with Marsden seeing 101.2mm of rainfall, more than West Yorkshire’s January monthly average of 85.1mm, and Capel Curig in Wales measuring 101.2mm, which is less than a third of the monthly average of 327mm.

A number of train routes were disrupted or blocked by flooding on Wednesday, mainly in the North West of England, with some Northern services, TransPennine Express services, Transport for Wales services, and South Western Railway services affected.

National Highways said a section of the A628 Woodhead Pass between Woolley Bridge and Flouch was closed due to flooding, as was the westbound M56 between Junction 6 for Manchester Airport and Junction 8 for Bowdon.

Flooding in Greater Manchester forced homes to be evacuated and closed train lines and roads following heavy rain.

Police said the major incident had been declared as mountain rescue teams were deployed to help Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service deal with damaged properties and stranded vehicles.

The police force added that the affected areas still under monitoring were Didsbury, Stockport, Trafford and Wigan.

Sixteen flood warnings are still in force around Greater Manchester this morning (January 2), plus 11 less severe flood alerts, the has reported.

A yellow weather warning for ice is also in force, with temperatures plummeting overnight. The region is currently waking up to temperatures at around -1C or -2C.

Some roads are closed in the region after the floods, including the A555 Manchester Airport relief road and the A58 through Platt Bridge, in Wigan.

The M56 reopened westbound between junctions six and seven overnight, having been shut throughout the day.

An interactive map on the UK Government’s website has shown the location of the 43 flood warnings and 83 alerts.

For those using public transport, passengers are advised to check any timetables and services before setting out in case of delays or cancellations due to inclement weather.

As per National Rail, the poor weather will impact trains running across Great Britain, with Northern services, TransPennine Express services, Transport for Wales services and ScotRail services all impacted.

Police were forced to evacuate more than 400 people stranded in a Manchester hotel last night.

A statement issued on X said: “Following a sustained joint effort with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, the local authority, and other crucial partner agencies, we have been able to safely evacuate 445 people, including residents and members of staff from a hotel on Palatine Road, Didsbury after reports of severe flooding.”

An ice warning is in force for much of the UK as temperatures dropped after a major incident was declared due to flooding.

And shocking pictures have shown large number of cars submerged in Manchester – where rescue teams yesterday had to be called in to evacuate people left stranded in a hotel.

The yellow warning indicates there could be some difficult travel conditions across Scotland, Northern Ireland, North Wales, stretching down to the Midlands until 10am on Thursday.

A snow and ice warning is also in place covering northern Scotland until 10am, as rain turning to snow is likely to lead to some travel disruption and difficult driving conditions, the said.

For those who intend to travel despite the current wintry weather, both the and National Rail issued alerts to remind Britons to plan ahead if on the move on Thursday.