A chilling ice warning has been issued for a following a major incident declaration due to severe . The Met Office's yellow warning suggests that Scotland, Northern Ireland, North Wales and the Midlands could face challenging conditions until 10am on Thursday.

Additionally, with rain turning into snow likely causing travel disruptions and hazardous driving conditions. This follows a major incident declared in Greater Manchester on Wednesday when heavy rainfall led to home evacuations, and line and road closures.

Mountain rescue teams were called in to assist the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service in dealing with damaged properties and stranded vehicles. Greater Manchester stated that Didsbury, Stockport, Trafford and Wigan are still under surveillance.

Approximately 450 individuals were evacuated from a Didsbury hotel on Wednesday evening, while 400 homes were deemed at lower risk, negating the need for widespread evacuation. Residents were also evacuated from a block of flats in Meadow Mill, Stockport.

The UK has been hammered by torrential rain with parts of the North West and Wales being submerged under water this Wednesday. Marsden in West Yorkshire was soaked with 101.2mm of rainfall, toppling its January average, while Capel Curig in Wales also experienced a downpour of 101.2mm.

The deluge wreaked havoc on various train services across the North West, where line blockages plagued Northern, TransPennine Express, Transport for Wales, and South Western Railway lines. Motorways haven't been spared either, as National Highways reports the A628 Woodhead Pass and the westbound M56 faced closures due to flooding issues.

Meanwhile, in Bristol, authorities have kicked into high gear; the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol enacted will bolster accommodation efforts for the homeless until January 8 to prevent anyone from enduring the cold on the streets. With temperatures expected to plummet overnight, potentially reaching minus 7C or minus 8C in Scotland, the risk of ice poses a serious threat to travellers.

Marco Petagna, a senior meteorologist, cautions: "Most roads will be treated, there's a chance on untreated roads that ice will still be an issue." Meteorologist Tom Morgan from the Met Office has issued a stark warning: "On Friday I think we will see further snow and ice warnings issued."

A three-day yellow warning for snow blankets nearly all of England and Wales, along with parts of Scotland, as experts caution that rural communities could become isolated. Schools may shut, and there's a risk of power cuts, road closures, and travel chaos affecting flights and trains.

The yellow alert for snow runs from noon on Saturday to 9am on Monday, sparing only the South West of England, while covering most of Wales and southern Scotland. Forecasts predict around 5cm of snow generally across the Midlands, Wales, and northern England, with up to 20-30cm possible over the Welsh mountains and Pennines.

Morgan adds, "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."