Severe gales heading towards Manchester have prompted an official warning from the Met Office who are predicting a stormy spell to hit the city over the next 48 hours.
The Met Office has issued a ‘be prepared’ Amber warning for the north of England and Scotland after winds in excess of 80mph can be expected.
Public Transport companies across Manchester have been informed of the weather conditions and officials expect services to be impacted.
Steve Willington, Chief Forecaster at the Met Office said: “The public should be prepared for significant disruption to travel, especially across the Central Belt and western Scotland during Thursday morning’s rush hour and Northern England during the day on Thursday.”
The Met Office is also issuing a Yellow ‘be aware’ weather warning for other areas in north England and north Wales as gusts could reach up to 70mph.
Mr Willington claimed the severe conditions are down to a rapidly deepening Atlantic depression which will bring the hazardous gales to central parts of the UK.
John Curtin, the Environment Agency’s Head of Incident Management, said: “Impacts could include flooding affecting some coastal properties and communities.
“Coastal paths and promenades could be highly dangerous as there is an increased risk of being swept out to sea. People are warned to stay away from the shoreline.
“The Environment Agency is monitoring the situation closely, working alongside partners including the Met Office and local authorities.
“Agency teams are out on the ground confirming that flood defences are in good working order, monitoring sea levels and preparing to issue flood warnings if necessary.”
The stormy spell is predicted to finish by the end of Friday allowing transport services to run as normal.
Mr Willington added: “The public should be prepared for significant disruption to travel, especially across the Central Belt and western Scotland during Thursday morning’s rush hour and Northern England during the day on Thursday.”
Howard Hartley, Transport for Greater Manchester’s Head of Bus service, said: “Think about what travel options are open to you, and make sure you know where to get information about your transport service in case of disruption.”
Image courtesy of Gianni Dominici, with thanks
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