The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a three-day heavy snow warning as thousands of households clean up after New Year's heavy rains caused flooding, travel disruptions and power outages.
Temperatures will drop below freezing over the weekend, with up to 30 centimeters (1 foot) of snow possible across England, Scotland and Wales, cutting off rural areas, closing schools and disrupting road, rail and air links. Forecasters said there could be problems.
The warning comes after a dismal start to 2025 for many parts of the UK, including Greater Manchester, where a major disaster was declared at midday due to flooding from dramatic overnight rain.
Mountain rescue teams were sent to assist firefighters in dealing with people trapped in flooded properties and stranded vehicles.
Police said plans were being made to begin evacuating around 500 people from a hotel in Didsbury on Wednesday night.
People living in a converted factory flat in Stockport were unable to leave their homes and were left without running water or electricity as the car park and ground floor were almost completely submerged under water.
About 400 apartment residents were scheduled to be evacuated on Wednesday.
Helen Scott, who lives on the top floor, told the BBC: “I can't get in, I can't get out. The fire brigade is here.”
However, she said stoically: Give it a few hours and I think the fear of early 2025 will sink in. ”
Greater Manchester Police said the worst affected areas were Bolton, Didsbury, Harperhey, Stalybridge, Stockport and Wigan. Trains were suspended, sections of the M56 and M57 motorways were closed, and people were advised to only travel if necessary.
Floods Minister Emma Hardy said she met with Environment Agency officials on Wednesday to “ensure affected communities receive the support they need”.
She added: “The Government is working at high speed to accelerate the construction of flood defenses through the new Flood Resilience Taskforce, ensuring we can continue to protect people and their homes.” he added.
Councilor Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, said: Wednesday: “We have been working closely with police, fire and environment agencies throughout the night to monitor water levels across the city and provide support and guidance to residents who may be affected.
“Some residents have been asked to evacuate in areas where the Environment Agency has issued flood warnings and these residents have been contacted directly and are receiving support.
“Thankfully, there are signs that water levels are starting to fall and further evacuations are unlikely to be required. However, water levels will continue to be monitored over the next few hours.”
There were also reports of property flooding in other parts of the north west, including Clitheroe, Ormskirk and Ribchester in Lancashire.
The rivers were rising everywhere, but we were relieved that the rain had stopped over a wide area around 9am. At Whaley Bridge in the Peak District, the Goyt River had risen visibly, but was half a meter lower than in 2019 when a major incident was declared and people were told to evacuate, volunteers said.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, almost a month's worth of rain fell in 48 hours in some parts of the northwest. The Pass of Onister in Cumbria had nearly 15cm (6 inches), while Rochdale in Greater Manchester had 7.5cm.
Elsewhere in England, the biggest problem on New Year's Day was high winds, with many events canceled including charity dips.
Thirty-six flights were canceled at Heathrow Airport as strong winds forced authorities to reduce arrival rates.
London's annual New Year's Day parade went ahead as planned despite being delayed by 30 minutes due to rainy and windy weather. It also hasn't featured inflatable cartoon characters like the giant Garfield or the 21-meter (68-foot) Mighty Mouse.
Rain may be followed by snow and ice. of A yellow snow warning will be in effect from noon Saturday until 9 a.m. Monday. We cover areas from Edinburgh to the south coast. Only some coastal margins and south-west England are excluded.
Approximately five centimeters of snow has fallen across large areas of the Midlands, Wales and northern England, with 20 to 30 centimeters expected to fall in the highlands of Wales and the Pennines.
Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: “Currently, we have issued a heavy snow warning from Saturday to Monday, but this does not mean that there is a chance of snow anywhere in the area where the warning is issued, but rather that there is a possibility of snow. I'm just warning you of something.” Some influences.
“It will definitely start as snow in many places, but the question is how quickly that snow will melt and turn back to rain. It's likely that the snow won't last very long in southern England.
“It's very likely that the warning will be updated frequently between now and the weekend. Certainly, if you have travel plans on Sunday and possibly Monday, keep an eye on the weather forecast.”
Heavy snow warnings have been issued for the weekend, so The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a yellow ice warning. From Wednesday afternoon to 10am Thursday in Scotland, North Wales and North England.
Rain, sleet and subzero temperatures could lead to icy spots on roads and sidewalks, creating dangerous driving conditions, forecasters said.
The warning is in addition to a yellow weather warning for snow and ice covering the Highlands and Grampian regions until 10am on Thursday.
By Wednesday evening, there were 40 flood warnings in England, 11 in Scotland and four in Wales, meaning flooding was expected.
Ben Lukey, the Environment Agency's flood manager, said major inland flooding was possible after continued heavy rain. River levels will remain high in parts of northern England until Thursday.
