UK weather latest: More than 70 rescued from flooding as Britain lashed by snow and heavy rain

Motorists warned of slippery surfaces and difficult driving conditions

Dozens of people have been rescued from flooding as heavy rain caused travel disruption and large parts of Scotland braced for snow.

More than 70 people were evacuated from their homes in north Lancashire, along with at least 20 horses, a cat and a dog.

Most rescues did not involve a "life risk," Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said, with some of the more serious incidents involving moving vulnerable people from their homes, saving trapped animals and pumping flood water out of houses.

The Met Office said around 1.7in (4.3cm) of rain had fallen in 24 hours in parts of Lancashire, while further north in Cumbria around half a month's rain, 3.5in (8.9cm), was recorded in 36 hours at Shap.

A car stuck in flood water under a bridge in Galgate, Lancashire, as heavy rain caused widespread flooding and travel disruption across north-west England and North Wales (Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

Sheena Engineer, national flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: "Further heavy rain overnight in the North West has caused flooding to a number of properties in Cumbria and Lancashire.

"Our staff have been on the ground overnight to support communities and our actions have protected more than 6,000 properties.

"We'll continue to provide support to those affected today, working with partners to assess the situation and check flood defences."

Light snow in Sheriffmuir, near Dunblane, as wintry showers are forecast for many parts of Scotland (Andrew Milligan/PA Wire ) (Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

Meanwhile, a yellow "be aware" weather warning for snow kicked in after midnight for the Scottish Highlands, Western Isles, Grampian, Strathclyde and Central, Tayside and Fife regions.

The warning, which covers the morning rush hour and is valid until 1pm on Thursday, warns that some roads and railways are likely to be affected, with possible longer journey times for road, bus and train services.

Another yellow warning was issued for ice across Scotland, Northern Ireland and some parts of northern England.

Strong winds were also forecast south of the border.

Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said: "Snow is forecast for northern Scotland and this could potentially affect travel in the area.

"Outside that area snow is not going to be an issue, it's more likely to be heavy rain."

North Yorkshire Police said "a number of vehicles" had been recovered from floodwaters and a stretch of the A65 south of Ingleton was closed, with considerable disruption expected in the area.

Two lanes of the southbound carriageway on the M6 were closed between junctions 35 and 36 in south Cumbria due to flooding and an overturned vehicle.

Rail operator Northern tweeted that flooding had stopped services between Lancaster and Morecambe, Carlisle, Oxenholme and Windermere.

Additional reporting by Press Association