Autumn is well and truly here… but unfortunately, it’s not quite the cold and crispy colourful autumn we were all hoping for.
The Met Office may have predicted last week that a “cold snap” is set to finally hit the UK this month after what had been a wash-out summer and unseasonably-warm last couple of weeks – but now, it seems they have changed their tune a little bit, as Storm Babet has officially been named, and she’s on her way this week.
Storm Babet is set to bring “impactful rain” and “heavy winds” across parts of the UK from Tuesday evening, according to the Met Office.
Forecasters say rain will begin to move into the west from this evening (17 October), with the “increasingly wet and windy weather” then spreading more widely across the UK on Wednesday and heavy downpours expected in most parts through the day.
#StormBabet has been named by @metoffice and is forecast to bring impactful heavy rain to the UK from Wednesday this week
Although northern England – including here in Greater Manchester – sounds like it’s in for a bit of a rough time, as is often the case, it’s up in Scotland where they’ll be getting the worst of it.
ADVERTISEMENT
As the rain then moves northwards from Wednesday onwards, the Met Office says it will stall across central and eastern parts of Scotland, and will then become “heavy and persistent” from Thursday through to Saturday.
A ‘Severe Weather Warning’ for rain has even been issued for this area, and up to 150-200 mm of rain could accumulate in some areas of higher ground.
ADVERTISEMENT
Further rain warnings have been issued for Northern Ireland and England, and there is also a Yellow warning for wind over the northern half of Scotland through Thursday and into Friday.
And as is often the case with storms, disruption to travel is expected throughout the week.
#StormBabet will bring heavy and disruptive rain from Wednesday onwards
It will be widely unsettled, but parts of eastern Scotland and Northern Ireland are particularly forecast to see significant amounts of rain
Speaking ahead of Storm Babet’s arrival, Steven Keates, who is the Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said warned Brits of the “impactful rain” that’s on its way this week.
ADVERTISEMENT
He continued: “Heavy and persistent rain will fall onto already saturated ground bringing a risk of flooding, so it’s important to stay up to date with warnings from your local flood warning agency as well as the local authorities.
“As well as heavy rain, Storm Babet will bring some very strong winds and large waves near some eastern coasts too, and gusts in excess of 60mph are possible in eastern and northern Scotland from Thursday.”
Government sets up taskforce to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care in England
Emily Sergeant
A taskforce aiming to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care in England has been set up by the Government.
The new Maternity and Neonatal taskforce – which is chaired by the Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting – will tackle ‘deep-rooted inequalities’ and deliver urgent action on the recommendations of the independent national investigation into maternity and neonatal services in England.
This means that women, babies, and families will receive safer and higher-quality care from the NHS in the long run.
According to the Government, the expert panel includes families, senior NHS leaders, royal colleges, campaigners, academics, and third sector representatives.
The Government has set up a taskforce to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care / Credit: Jimmy Conover (via Unsplash)
As part of the selection process, the Government has been working closely with harmed and bereaved families to ensure their personal experiences were reflected, and those who have been chosen collectively have the clinical expertise, lived experience, and sector know-how to deliver the changes so desperately needed for families.
Starting next week, the Secretary of State will chair regular roundtables with the new taskforce – with the first priority to agree its Terms of Reference.
The taskforce will also address recent developments in maternity and neonatal care, including recommendations from the Thirlwall Inquiry, and the independent review into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
📢 National maternity and neonatal investigation to be launched
Too many families have suffered preventable harm.
The investigation will urgently look at services with specific issues and the entire maternity system, making sure each family receives safe and compassionate care. pic.twitter.com/J8XkwGM9dN
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) June 23, 2025
The taskforce will also be supported by a wider range of experts – as part of ‘expert reference groups’ – that the Government says will bring ‘a broader range’ of perspectives.
“Every woman and baby deserve safe, compassionate care during pregnancy and birth, and the very best start in life,” commented Duncan Burton, who is the Chief Nursing Officer for England.
“Although NHS maternity and neonatal teams work incredibly hard to support women and families every day, we know there is more we must urgently do to improve care and experience.
“I look forward to working with members of the taskforce to improve safety and deliver the best possible outcomes and experience for women, babies, families, and colleagues working in these services.”
Featured Image – Credit: Aditya Romansa (via Unsplash)
News
Manchester Piccadilly is closing AGAIN for more improvement works this weekend
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Piccadilly is set to close again for more improvement works this weekend.
In case you hadn’t heard, Manchester Piccadilly train station was closed for nine days back in mid-February while a ‘once-in-a-generation upgrade’ was carried out – with very few train services running in or out of the station in the process, and as you’d expect, widespread disruption caused for those travelling around the region.
But thankfully, after many journeys were impacted for those travelling to and from major destinations like Manchester Airport, and on the West Coast Mainline, the station was back up and running at the end of February, with passengers thanked for their patience in the meantime.
Network Rail invested £7.9m into the major upgrade, with the main points of action being to improve tracks, points, and signalling systems on the southern approach to Manchester Piccadilly station.
At the time it was announced that the station had reopened, passengers were alerted to further minor closures in the future, and one of those closures is set to take place this weekend.
🗓️ On 1 & 22 March, we’ll complete follow-up work following our £7.9m track upgrade at Manchester Piccadilly.
🛤️ Morning journeys will be disrupted on those days, with rail replacement buses in operation to keep you moving.
This Sunday (22 March), routine follow-up work will take place to secure the new railway foundation stone through a process called tamping, and this will impact trains until 1pm, so passengers are advised to check online ahead of time if planning to travel.
These upgrades are said to help deliver ‘smoother, more reliable’ journeys for passengers in the future, but during this time, trains from the south and east will not run into Manchester Piccadilly.
All station facilities at Manchester Piccadilly will remain open on the day, including the ticket office, Passenger Assist lounge, toilets, and retail outlets, and Metrolink trams will continue to stop at the station too.
Northern has confirmed that it will continue to run a reduced timetable on services to Liverpool Lime Street, Blackpool North, and Chester.
Emily Sergeant -
17th October 2023 
