Chaos across the UK as wild weather hits with strong winds and heavy rain bringing down trees and causing widespread flooding
A bungalow was hit by a falling tree as Storm Claudia brought chaos to the UK.
Pictures show an uprooted tree crashing into a house in Manchester. Earlier, residents were forced to evacuate their homes in Bollington, Cheshire, after a tree fell on properties and knocked down power lines.
The storm has also wreaked havoc on the region’s transport networks, with trains and Metrolink services disrupted by fallen trees.
Storm Claudia is expected to ease overnight, with more rain forecast tomorrow for Greater Manchester but less severe winds predicted.
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The Met Office issued Amber «danger to life» flood warnings for two UK regions as the storm loomed.
The weather agency has updated the warning for Wales, Yorkshire and Humber as Storm Claudia continue to wreak havoc across the country. The warning area has been expanded northwards across the East Midlands and Lincolnshire.
The National Weather Agency stated: «Storm Claudia, previously named by the Spanish Meteorological Service, will bring rain that will become persistent and heavy during Friday. «40-60 mm of rain is expected widely across this region with some places seeing around 80 mm.
‘High speed winds and increasing severe weather forecast’ led to the closure of Lapland Manchester, with bosses citing the stormy weather as posing safety risks to the public.
Furthermore, there are now three flood alerts in place across the region, reports the Manchester Evening News.
In addition to the two issued earlier today on the River Mersey near Tameside and areas including Bramhall, Stockport, Sale, Altrincham and Urmston, there is now a flood alert for the River Bollin catchment, which includes Knutsford, Wilmslow, Macclesfield and Bollington.
Flooding is possible in these areas due to rising river levels.
The locations most likely to be affected are low lying land and roads around the Rivers Bollin, Dean and Pedley, Birkin and Mobberley Brooks and their tributaries.
Areas around Knutsford, Wilmslow, Hale, Macclesfield and Bollington may be affected.
