An amber weather warning has been issued across parts of Greater Manchester this evening as heavy rain lashes the region.
An existing yellow weather warning for rain has been upgraded in parts of Bolton, Bury, and Wigan. The Met Office has warned the wet weather is ‘likely to cause disruption’ in these areas, with some flooding expected.
People are also told to expect difficult driving conditions, ‘fast flowing or deep floodwater’ that could cause danger to life, and delays and cancellations to public transport services.
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Flood alerts are also in place -Credit:Environment Agency
“Persistent and, at times heavy, rain will continue overnight before clearing southwards on Wednesday morning,” the Met Office website reads. “40-50 mm rain is expected fairly widely, with 50-100 mm across west-facing hills. There is a chance a few locations could see in excess of 100 mm.”
Several areas to the north of Manchester are covered by the amber alert, which mostly covers Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
The Met Office is warning people to expect: “Spray and flooding probably leading to difficult driving conditions and some road closures; Fast flowing or deep floodwater is likely, causing danger to life; Homes and businesses are likely to be flooded, causing damage to some buildings; A good chance some communities will be cut off by flooded roads; Delays and some cancellations to train and bus services are likely; Power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses likely.”
They have advised residents to avoid travelling by road, not to drive, walk, or swim through floodwater, and to avoid it where possible.
The warning is in place until 9am on Wednesday morning (January 1).