As it happened: UK hit by wintry weather
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- Updates on Friday, 13 January 2017
- England's east coast escapes significant flood damage
- Thousands of homes evacuated in Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Essex
- Seventeen severe flood warnings remain in place
- Icy conditions expected across the UK
Live Reporting
By Emma Atkinson and Cherry Wilson
All times stated are UK
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Storm surge updates: Here's what happened
Thanks for joining us for our live updates covering the predicted storm surges and flooding along the east coast of England and icy weather across the rest of the UK.
17 severe flood warnings remain
The Environment Agency said 17 severe flood warnings - where there is a danger to life - remain in place.
A further 80 flood warnings and 69 flood alerts are also active across England and Wales.
Its online flood map is updated every 15 minutes with the latest information.
Icy weather conditions expected
This is the Met Office's latest weather warning for the UK.
Ice is likely to form on untreated surfaces, particularly where showers of sleet, snow and hail occur.
The Met Office said the conditions may lead to a risk of disruption with difficult driving conditions.
No reports of flooding in Essex
There have been no reports of flooding along the coast of Jaywick in Essex where 230 residents were evacuated from their homes.
Essex police said evacuating the residents was "the right thing to do" and was based on advice from the Environment Agency and the Met Office.
The county council was expected to arrange transport to take people back to their homes at around 6:00 BST, the police added.
'Safe to return home' in Suffolk
Residents along the coast south of Lowestoft in Suffolk have been told it is safe to return to their homes following the flood risk.
There had been some flooding along the east coast but the extent was "not as bad as it may have been", said Suffolk Police.
But it added that there were some road closures in place in the Southwold area which may affect residents' ability to return home.
'Safe to return home'
Residents at the rescue centre in Jaywick have been told it is safe to go home as the severe flood warning is over.
Sea wall has not been breached in Jaywick
We've just heard the sea wall in Jaywick has not been breached.
The confirmation came from Ch Insp Jonathan Baldwin, who said although there had not yet been flooding, the danger had not yet passed.
A severe flood warning is still in place for the coast from Clacton to Lee Wick.
Great Yarmouth evacuation 'not an overreaction'
Alex Dunlop
BBC Look East
Evacuating homes and getting in help from other parts of the country was not an overreaction to the flood risk, the leader of Great Yarmouth Council says.
About 4,500 people are thought to have left their homes ahead of a predicted tidal surge, but the town escaped unscathed and no flooding occurred.
"We're very grateful to all the people from all over the country who came here to help us," Graham Plant said.
"I don't believe we overreacted... If [the water] had breached, the residents would have been so grateful to have those people there to help them."
'We survived!'
Many residents in Great Yarmouth expressed their relief as it appeared they had escaped the worst of the flooding.
'The tide started to take him'
Norfolk Police has said the man arrested after jumping into a river in Great Yarmouth had been asked to move away for his own safety.
Officers were alerted to a man acting dangerously next to the River Yare near Haven Bridge at around 21:10 GMT.
He was rescued from the water and arrested for public order offences.
Trapped fisherman pulled from pier
A fisherman had to be rescued by a lifeboat crew after being cut off by huge waves on a pier during the tidal surge.
The RNLI crew at Blyth was called just after 16:00 GMT to reports of a man stranded on the east pier near the lighthouse.
Trapped fisherman pulled from pier
A fisherman is rescued by a lifeboat crew after being cut off by huge waves on a pier during the tidal surge.
Read moreLIVE: Reporting from the scene at Jaywick evacuation rest centre
Stuart Woodward
BBC Essex
Bridge closures in Suffolk
Suffolk Police have closed the bascule bridge in Lowestoft and Mutford Lock Bridge in Oulton due to safety concerns.
"The decision has not been taken lightly but is being put in place for public safety as a precautionary measure," the force said.
The bridges are shut to pedestrians and cars "while the danger passes."
Man arrested for jumping in flood-risk river
A man has been arrested for public order offences after he jumped into the river in Great Yarmouth, police say.
He was "acting dangerously" next to the River Yare, but refused to move away from the water.
Police said he was immediately rescued and arrested, but that "a small number of people" were getting too close to the water.
In pictures: High waters in Great Yarmouth
High tide in Great Yarmouth
The BBC's Ben Brown in Great Yarmouth says that despite the high tide coming in, there's no sign of any flooding so far.
The Environment Agency has issued 17 severe flood warnings - meaning there is a danger to life.
Train cancellations
Rail services from Lowestoft station have now ended and are cancelled until Saturday.
People delay rescue over 'fear of being burgled'
Residents shun evacuation centres
BBC News correspondent Alex Dunlop in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, says many residents have refused to go to emergency centres despite the flood warning.
Police say that around 60% to 70% of the residents they visited did not want to go to the centres, out of around 5,000 properties.
This could be because they have decided to stay at home, or with a friend or relative.
Officials warn against 'flood selfies'
Tidal surge passes Skegness
BBC News correspondent Danny Savage says the east coast tidal surge passed Skegness, Lincs, without incident.
Flooding 'worst they've ever seen'
BBC Look North journalist tweets...
In pictures: Night falls at Jaywick as evacuation continues
About 140 people have checked in with the rest centre in Jaywick as the community braces itself for floods.
Boston river level dropping
Boston Council tweets...
Army helping in Skegness and Great Yarmouth
The Ministry of Defence says Burma Company, 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, are supporting the authorities in Skegness until at least 4:00 GMT tomorrow.
In Great Yarmouth, A Squadron, King's Royal Hussars, is supporting the authorities until early tomorrow. High tide is expected there at 23:41.
High waters pictured at Trusthorpe
BBC Radio Lincolnshire tweets...
'Water receding' in Withernsea
Humberside Police tweet...
'Take this surge seriously'
Evacuations in Norfolk
About 80 people are being evacuated from the village of Walcott, Norfolk Police say.
In Salthouse, about 15 properties were being evacuated, the force added.
Rescue in Hornsea
BBC Look North journalist tweets...
'Evacuate immediately'
Continue evacuating, say Essex Police
Residents of Jaywick, Mistley and West Mersea in Essex should continue evacuating their homes, Essex Police says.
A severe flood warning - meaning threat to life - remains in place ahead of a high tide expected at 00:15 GMT.
About 140 have registered at the rest centre in Jaywick and police say there is a "steady flow" of people going in.
High water levels in Hull
BBC Radio Humberside reporter tweets...
'Challenging conditions'
Humberside Police tweets...
85 Jaywick evacuees registered at rest centre so far
Evacuees escaping a predicted high tide and severe weather, which could cause mass flooding in a small Essex village, have been arriving at a rest centre.
The centre in Tendring, Clacton, can cater for more than 1,000 people who are leaving Jaywick.
Nigel Brown, from Tendring Council, said that the rest centre had registered at least 85 people.
"The main issue at that time was going to be the lunchtime high tide... that turned out not to be an issue," he said.
"We now have an issue with the tide around 11pm tonight and that looks to be serious."
'Sea surges' in Scarborough
BBC Look North reporter tweets...
'Leave your house'
BBC Essex tweets...
High tide 'has passed' in Newcastle
The Environment Agency tweets...
Tidal surge in Scarborough and Whitby
BBC Look North tweets...
Safety is the most important priority, says flood minister
Floods minister Therese Coffey told BBC Essex that she was impressed with the flood preparations in Essex.
She said: The most important priority in the next 24 hours is making sure that people are safe.
"There has been investment [in flood defences] along this stretch of the Essex coast... and there will be in the future."