More than 30 flood alerts have been issued across the North West due to heavy rain and melting snow.
The Environment Agency said there were 35 flood alerts in place in the North West this weekend and more than 200 across the UK, as rainfall mixed with melting snow flowed into rivers and watercourses.
Rising temperatures have sparked a rapid thaw of the snow and ice which has built up in the recent cold snap, further exasperating potential flooding problems.
Several alerts have been issued in Lancashire, after parts of the region were hit by more than a foot of snowfall on Friday night.
These include alerts for the Lower River Ribble from Samlesbury and the River Darwen from Darwen, affecting Preston, and the Upper River Ribble and River Hodder and other watercourses from Settle to Samlesbury, including Clitheroe and Ribchester.
The Rivers Yarrow and Lostock and other watercourses from Whittle-Le-Woods and Chorley to Croston including Leyland, Lostock Hall and Bamber Bridge, and the Rivers Wyre, Calder and Brock and other watercourses from Abbeystead to Catterall including Scorton, Garstang, Bilsborrow, Ainspool and Churchtown, are also affected.
An alert has also been issued for the Lower River Douglas and other watercourses from Parbold to the confluence with the River Ribble including Rufford, Mawdesley, Hesketh and Longton.
On Friday heavy snowfall caused chaos for hundreds of motorists who were stranded for hours in their cars on motorways.
The Highways Agency closed the M6 motorway overnight in both directions between junctions 25 and 27 near Wigan, after vehicles became stuck in the snow.
The M58 and M56 were also blocked and drivers who could leave the motorways were forced to take to gridlocked local roads.
Heavy congestion was also experienced on the M61, with long delays from Manchester, and the M65, from Blackburn.





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