More than 70 people and 20 horses had to be rescued from floods in Lancashire as bad weather hit the UK.

The main route through Galgate has been shut by flooding.

Emergency crews received up to 500 calls with Lancaster and Galgate the worst affected places.

Roads are shut and rail services have been suspended by floods in north Walesand snow is forecast across Scotland.

There are currently 24 flood warnings in place in the north west, which has left rail services running at a reduced speed.

The Met Office said around 1.7in (4.3cm) of rain had fallen in 24 hours in parts of Lancashire.

Two lanes on the M6 motorway southbound are shut, between junctions 35 and 36 and the A6 at Galgate is closed in both directions.

More than 160 properties in Thornton-Cleveleys, on the Fylde coast, are without power due to the weather, Electricity North West confirmed.

Rail lines that were shut between Preston and Lancaster have reopened, according to Virgin Trains, but services are running at reduced speed on all lines.

Ellel Primary School in Galgate and Cardinal Allen High School in Fleetwood have been shut for the day because of the weather.

People had to abandon their cars and homes were flooded when the River Conder in Galgate burst its banks on Wednesday evening.

Resident Maggie Wild, whose cellar was flooded, said: "[I] came home and thought it is pretty high and it is still going to rain all night so I better start moving stuff out of the way.

"It just came in faster and faster... and there came a point when we were bucketing it out and we had pumps going on it."

She said: "It was bucket versus river and the river won."

She added her cooker, washer, dishwasher boiler were "all gone".

Electricity North West said the weather had caused "intermittent power cuts" in Preston and Ulverston.

The River Conder in Galgate burst its banks.

Flooding has also affected the Devonshire Road area of Blackpool, which is currently a diversion route for traffic because the Promenade is shut while tram network extension work is under way.

Devonshire Road is closed between Mansfield Road and Warley Road.

Lancaster City Council tweeted its cleansing teams are in areas worst hit by flooding clearing roads, pavements and debris.

Source: BBC