Countless people across the UK gathered in their back gardens and at their living room windows last night to watch as Manchester and various other areas across the country were hit with a somewhat surreal ‘silent lightning’ storm after a week or so of sun and muggy heat.
Captured on camera by countless Mancs — ourselves included — we were all hoping to record the perfect moment the lightning strike was followed by the ever-satisfying thunderclap, but it wasn’t to be as each bolt that appeared in the illuminated skies remained completely silent.
Strange but very cool.
Here’s how it looked as the fascinating meteorological phenomenon backlit the moody-looking clouds around Deansgate, Castlefield and various other parts of Greater Manchester.
The reactions online ranged from ‘crazy’ and ‘creepy’ to ‘biblical’.
Understandably, many were left scratching their heads at the confusing scenes as we all know first comes the lightning, then comes the thunder. Nevertheless, it was not the case on Sunday night (10 September) and after a quick Google search, we soon found out why.
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Lightning without thunder is a unique weather event often called ‘heat lightning‘, as it occurs more frequently during the summer, but it isn’t actually silent, as such.
It isn’t actually caused by the heat itself as the name would suggest; heat lightning is essentially referred to as such because the storm itself is actually much further away but since light travels much faster than sound, people can still see the effect of the lightning bolts.
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The flashes themselves are created by lightning bolts from thunderstorms that are roughly ten miles or more away and since the sky is often much clearer on hot summer nights, you can still see the so-called ‘silent lightning’ without hearing the usual thunder — lucky for all our lovely pets.
The silent storm came after what felt like an eternity of humid days, sweaty sleeps and wearing next to nothing whenever possible as we tried to stay cool in a rather uncomfortable heatwave that decided to arrive towards the back end of an otherwise disappointing summer.
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It just wouldn’t be Britain without waiting for the sun to arrive and then moaning the second it gets too hot.
The heat lightning isn’t the only unusual bit of weather we’ve had recently, either, as last week people were surprised to see their cars suddenly covered in dirt for some reason.
Who else woke up like 'AAHHHHHH JUST CLEANED MY CAR' this morning? 🙃 https://t.co/CL1c9WM0vj
Featured Image — The Manc Group/mcrjh.pix (via Instagram)
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Woman charged with murder of 75-year-old man inside block of flats in Bolton
Emily Sergeant
A woman has been arrested and subsequently charged with the murder of a 75-year-old man in Bolton over the weekend.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called to Hargreaves House on Ormrod Street in Bolton at around 8am this past Friday morning (17 July), but upon arrival, they sadly located the body of a 75-year-old man inside the address and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 49-year-old woman was arrested and taken into custody for questioning, but now it has been confirmed that she has been charged with murder.
The woman, whose name is Samantha Nuttall, of Bradford Street in Bolton, has been remanded into custody, and will appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court today (Monday 20 July).
Formal identification of the victim is yet to take place, but next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported at this time.
GMP’s Major Incident Team have launched a murder investigation and are continuing to pursue multiple lines of enquiry to establish the full circumstances.
“It is our priority to obtain some answers regarding the full circumstances of this tragic incident, and we are appealing for information from the public to help us progress our investigation,” commented Detective Inspector, Louise Kelly.
Can you help? Anyone with any information, CCTV, or mobile phone footage that may relate to the investigation can provide it via the Major Incident Public Portal here, or contact police on 101 or via the Live Chat at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 744 of 17/07/26.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
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Dame Sarah Storey is going on Strictly Come Dancing 2026
Danny Jones
Record-breaking local athlete and Paralympian, Dame Sarah Storey, is set to become the latest to join the Strictly Come Dancing annals.
With the Strictly cast for 2026 steadily being unveiled, we always keep an eye out for the Greater Manchester names in particular.
That being said, we’re buzzing to see the hugely successful Stockport swimmer turned cyclist will be swapping her Team GB kit for sparkly, sequined ballroom gowns and an entirely different type of sport and fitness.
Announced on Friday, 17 July, Storey is the seventh celebrity to be confirmed for the 24th series of the hit BBC show and dancing competition.
Having represented her country not only at nine Paralympics but across two different disciplines after switching to the racing bike back in 2005, she’s our most decorated competitor in the entire history of the Games with 30 medals to her name – 19 of which are gold.
Absolute GOAT levels.
But now the Cheadle Hulme-born is once again set to show her versatility to see how she fares on the dance floor later this year.
Commenting ahead of the new-look season which starts this September, the 48-year-old said: “Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting.
“I have always loved watching Strictly, and my daughter Louisa is a very talented dancer, so to be able to learn from the best and hopefully understand even more about her world is incredibly motivating! I can’t wait to get started!”
This latest sea-change comes not long after the local legend and sporting icon officially announced her retirement from professional sport more than three decades on from first bursting onto the scene.
Thank you for taking the time to leave all the incredible messages. It’s so wonderful to read them and thank you for being the greatest supporters 🥰
— Dame Sarah Storey (@DameSarahStorey) July 9, 2026
What a career she’s had; it obviously didn’t take her long to get tired of sitting still for once, either.
She will be joined by the likes of Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer and Will Best.
In case you missed it, the upcoming edition of Strictly Come Dancing will be the first since Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepped down, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and pro dancer Johannes Radebe stepping in as replacements.
In other starring Stockport news, we’ve finally got more info on the final season of a popular programme filmed in the area. Find out more down below.
Danny Jones -
11th September 2023 
