Three day snow warning as UK starts 2025 with heavy rain, flood alerts and a major incident
Share:
A three-day snow warning has been issued for almost all of England and Wales and parts of Scotland. Britain has rung in the New Year with heavy downpours and severe flooding with significant snowfall expected this weekend as the temperature is set to plummet in the first week of 2025.
![[A council worker attempts to unblock drains after heavy overnight rain]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/01/12/2025-01-01T115357Z_1382758939_RC2Y0CAVIOTI_RTRMADP_3_EUROPE-WEATHER-BRITAIN.jpg)
A number of Met Office alerts are in place across large swathes of the UK and more than 170 flood warnings have been put in place across England, Scotland and Wales. A three-day snow warning has been issued for almost all of England and Wales and parts of Scotland this weekend as the Met Office has warned rural communities could become cut off.
![[A drone view shows abandoned cars after heavy overnight rain caused roads to flood, leaving cars stranded in Manchester]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/01/11/2025-01-01T115530Z_1327562075_RC2Y0CA8VVS2_RTRMADP_3_EUROPE-WEATHER-BRITAIN.jpg)
A 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. About 5cm of snow is expected widely across the Midlands, Wales and northern England, with as much as 20-30cm over high ground in Wales and/or the Pennines, the forecaster added.
![[A yellow warning for snow will be in place until Monday morning]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/01/12/Screenshot-2025-01-01-122104.jpg)
Greater Manchester Police said a major incident has been declared over widespread flooding in the area following heavy rain overnight, with the worst affected areas in Bolton, Didsbury, Harpurhey, Stalybridge, Stockport and Wigan. Mountain rescue teams have been deployed to help Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service deal with damaged properties and stranded vehicles.
![[The railway crossing at Blackford, Perthshire covered in snow (Robert Perry/PA)]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/01/12/00046460a6f9b735387d6d536c6deb08Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzM1ODE4MDEx-2.78287278.jpg)
Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: “At the moment we’ve issued a very large snow warning for Saturday until Monday but it doesn’t mean that everywhere within that warning could see snow, it’s just a heads-up there could be some impacts.
![[A DFDS ferry arrives in stormy conditions at the Port of Dover in Kent]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/01/12/a47705f6-696d-4c1d-a121-9640f54805ae.jpg)
