The Stalybridge areas of Millbrook and Carrbrook were the most affected by the incident – however, it was luckily confirmed from the police’s initial enquiries, as well as from the updates provided by partnering emergency services at the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) who also attended, that there have thankfully been no injuries reported.
#UPDATE | At around 11.45pm yesterday evening (Wednesday 27 December 2023), Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called to numerous reports of significant damage to various properties across Stalybridge in Tameside.
— Tameside North and East Police (GMP) (@GMPTamesideN) December 28, 2023
Temporary shelter and support services are currently being provided for the displaced and affected residents by Tameside Council.
ADVERTISEMENT
GMP is advising that anyone affected should keep a close eye on and monitor Tameside Council’s social media for advice and guidance, or call 0161 342 2222 where Council representatives will be on hand to offer support.
While this damaging weather event was initially described as being a “localised tornado”, Met Office meteorologists have referred to it as a ‘supercell thunderstorm’ at this point, and say they know from their Dopplar radar that it had a strong rotating updraft.
ADVERTISEMENT
Experts are still waiting for surface data to confirm, but have admitted that the presence of these features “suggests a tornado at the surface was likely”.
Last night a supercell thunderstorm crossed Greater Manchester causing damage. We know from our Dopplar radar that it had a strong rotating updraft. Whilst we don't yet have surface data to confirm, the presence of these features suggests a tornado at the surface was likely 🌪️ pic.twitter.com/XEG1TkKbjN
But what exactly is a ‘supercell thunderstorm’ then? Why does it occur? And how does it differ from the regular thunderstorm we’re all used to?
Well, the answer is all in the tornado.
ADVERTISEMENT
What is a tornado?
The Met Office defines a tornado as a “swirling column of air” that spins rapidly with winds of over 40mph or 60kph.
Described by weather experts as being one of the most violent and dramatic weather types on the planet, which serve as a demonstration of the “destructive power of our turbulent atmosphere”, there are several different types of tornado – with the fastest wind speeds ever recorded for a tornado being over 300mph or 480kph.
Not only are they the fastest wind speeds ever recorded for a tornado, they are actually the fastest winds ever recorded on Earth, according to the Met Office.
How is a tornado formed?
Tornadoes form in “very unsettled weather conditions” as part of severe thunderstorms, according to experts at the Met Office.
A tornado typically has the form of a twisting funnel-shaped cloud between the cloud base and the ground. Sometimes the vortex can appear as a slender rope-like form, particularly when the tornado is weakening, although sometimes a tornado can be almost invisible, and is only observable by the debris thrown up from the surface.
ADVERTISEMENT
Tornadoes usually form from big thunderstorms called ‘supercells’ – which was the case for the incident last night in Stalybridge – but can form from other types of storms too, with tropical cyclones being one of the most common.
Tornadoes form in “very unsettled weather conditions” as part of severe thunderstorms / Credit: Met Office
How is a ‘supercell thunderstorm’ different to a regular thunderstorm?
A thunderstorm is defined by the Met Office as a series of sudden electrical discharges that result from atmospheric conditions.
Most thunderstorms are associated with towering clouds known as cumulonimbus, and the right conditions for the formation of a thunderstorm are unstable air and a mechanism for causing air to rise – which is usually hot and humid air, with lots of energy.
When a thunderstorm is being fed lots of warm and moist air, it continues to grow and can begin to rotate, and then, if this rotation begins to lower from the cloud, a tornado begins to form – however, at this stage, it’s just called a ‘funnel cloud’.
It’s only when the funnel reaches the ground that becomes a tornado.
Featured Image – Tameside Council
News
Manchester’s ‘busiest’ road to close for annual safety checks this weekend
Manchester’s ‘busiest’ road is set to close this weekend while annual safety checks are carried out, it has been confirmed.
As Manchester City Council looks to maintain and improve what is, by far, one of Manchester’s busiest and most-used roads, given the fact it is the main thoroughfare in and out of the city centre, it has been confirmed that Mancunian Way is set to close overnight this weekend for its annual inspection.
Carried out every year, the Council explains that these closures ensure that ‘vital’ safety inspections can be conducted to allow the major road to continue operating as normal.
The overnight closure will take place from 7-8 June.
From 5am on Saturday (7 June), Mancunian Way will be closed in both directions along its entire length, including all slip roads, between the Chester Road roundabout and Fairfield Street, and this will last until 7pm on Sunday (8 June), after which the road will be open to traffic again as normal.
In the meantime while the closures are underway, the Council assures that a signed diversion route will be in place via the north and eastern ring road sections – Trinity Way and Great Ancoats Street – and a local diversion route will be signed via Bridgewater Street, Whitworth Street West, Whitworth Street, and Fairfield Street.
Manchester’s ‘busiest’ road Mancunian Way is closing for annual safety checks this weekend / Credit: Pixabay
During this period there will also be a lane closure east/westbound at the Deansgate Interchange between 6:30-9:30am, and the inbound lane of Princess Road (heading towards Manchester) between 6:30am and 11:15am.
As is to be expected with these kinds of tasks, Councillors say they are preparing for a ‘level of disruption’ but are intending to keep it to a minimum.
“The annual inspection of the Mancunian Way is a vital job which ensures that the tens of thousands of daily users of this road can go about their journey in safety,” explained Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport.
“We do expect a level of disruption throughout this process so wherever possible we’d advise people to travel via public transport, or plan an alternate route ahead to avoid the work locations.
An eye-opening new study has found that only 5% of Mancs still use cash as their preferred method of payment nowadays.
It comes as no surprise that cash is less of a ‘king’ nowadays than it used to be, but now a new report by global financial technology company SumUp has suggests that only 5% of people in Manchester prefer to pay with cash, while 59% choose debit and credit cards, so that leaves one question… is Manchester on its way to becoming a cashless city?
To discover how payment preferences are evolving, SumUp conducted a nationwide survey to gather insights from UK consumers about their payment habits.
The company was particularly intrigued to not only discover payment methods people prefer, but what their concerns around certain payment methods, alongside how they feel about businesses that don’t accept digital payments.
95% of Mancs apparently want the city to be ‘cashless’ / Credit: Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash) | Pexels
Firstly, before we go any further, it’s important to note that almost two thirds (63%) of Manchester residents said they have changed the way they make payments over the past year.
Unsurprisingly, debit and credit cards remain the top choice for the majority of Mancs, with over half (59%) saying it was their preferred method of payment, followed by mobile payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay at 24% – which is likely thanks to their ease of use and the ability to have multiple cards on one device.
While a third (31%) of Mancs said that they ‘don’t mind’ cash and still opt to carry it for situations where digital payments aren’t an option, a growing number of people in the city are feel that digital payments are more favourable, with 25% thinking that businesses should adapt to modern payment methods and whilst 28% finding it ‘inconvenient’ when a business doesn’t accept digital payments.
A further 11% of people even say that cash-only businesses wouldn’t be an option they’d consider, and would actually avoid them wherever possible.
Only 5% use cash as their preferred method of payment / Credit: Rawpixel
When it comes to concerns around digital payment methods, where do Mancs stand then? Well, the survey found that a third (33%) of people are worried about their reliance on technology, especially being unable to pay if their phone dies, for example, while an additional 32% of people are concerned about security risks such as hacking, fraud, or stolen card details.
Among other things, 26% of survey respondents also said they worry about the privacy aspect of digital banking and the tracking your data.
“While debit and credit cards continue to dominate as the preferred payment method, it’s clear that cash is slowly declining in use, particularly among younger generations,” Corin Camenisch, who is the Marketing & Growth Lead at SumUp, commented on the report.
“Looking ahead, we can anticipate a rise in innovative payment methods like digital wallets, especially as younger consumers increasingly embrace the convenience and flexibility they offer.”
Emily Sergeant -
28th December 2023 
