Emergency services have declared a major incident in Greater Manchester after severe heavy rain overnight on New Year’s Eve has led to flooding in several parts of the region.
One such incident is in Stockport, where a newly-converted apartment building has been hit by flooding so severe residents say they are ‘trapped’ inside with no electricity or running water.
Shocking videos and photos from Meadow Mill, which stands on the south bank of the River Tame, show the car park almost completely submerged.
Video creator Hannah Beau, who lives on the fourth floor of the development, said: “My car’s underwater, it’s definitely written off.
“They’re handing water up to the first floor in a boat. We’ve got the emergency services on standby.
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“We have no power, no transport, no clean water. So this is a really great start to 2025 everyone.”
In another post, she said she’s woken up to ‘a literal lake’ beneath her home.
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Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have declared a major incident and are co-ordinating responses to the severe flooding.
Areas affected across Greater Manchester include Bolton, Didsbury, Harpurhey, Stalybridge, Stockport and Wigan.
The Environment Agency, Highways England and mountain rescue are also helping the efforts as reports continue around damage, risk to life and stranded vehicles.
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On the response, Chief Superintendent Colette Rose said: “Following events overnight a major incident has been declared. This is to ensure we can continue to keep people safe through a co-ordinated effort from our collective emergency services, supported by key partner agencies.
“Anyone affected should check the relevant detail being shared by their local council, the fire service and Transport for Greater Manchester to ensure they can get the support available, which include any road closures and information centres for those displaced. It is advised to travel if it is only necessary and to take care if out and about.
“Our officers with the fire service are in the key locations and can be spoken to if you need anything urgently, as we understand the distress those affected will be faced with as we begin 2025. It will be a continued team effort as we monitor how the weather and water levels progress throughout today.”
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “We have been working closely with the police, fire service and Environment Agency through the night to monitor water levels across the city – and provide support and guidance to our residents who might be affected. Some residents have been asked to evacuate where the Environment Agency has issued flood warnings, and these residents have been contacted directly and supported.
“Thankfully we are seeing signs that water levels are beginning to fall, and it is unlikely that further evacuations will be necessary. However, water levels will continue to be monitored over the coming hours.
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“We would ask anyone who is travelling today to take extra care and check the TfGM website for the latest updates and advice. And you can find information about what to do if your area is at risk of flooding on the Council’s website.
“I would like to thank our emergency services colleagues – alongside Council staff – for their efforts overnight and today in keeping Manchester residents safe.”
Flooding in your area
If flooding has affected your area, you can contact Floodline by phone on 0345 988 1188 or by text on 0345 602 6340, or contact your local authority if you have questions.
Anyone with information around any developments or in need of assistance are asked to call 101 quoting log 3258 of 31/12/2024. In an emergency, always dial 999 in the first instance.
Family pay tribute to 17-year-old girl who died in crash during police pursuit in Bolton
Emily Sergeant
The family of a 17-year-old girl who sadly lost her life in a collision in Bolton earlier this month have now paid tribute to her.
Erica De Sousa Correia sadly died in hospital in the early hours of Tuesday morning (19 May), following injuries sustained in a collision on Walker Fold Road in Bolton back on 5 May.
Her passing comes after, at around 6:25pm on 5 May, a car activated an ANPR camera in the Bolton area, having previously being marked as a suspicious vehicle.
A short time later, officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) traffic unit spotted the vehicle, which failed to stop on Old Kiln Lane, and following a brief pursuit, the vehicle subsequently crashed on Walker Fold Road.
The driver of the vehicle – a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons – was charged with a number of offences, including causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and has been bailed pending further enquiries.
An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is ongoing at this time.
In the meantime, Erica’s family has now paid tribute to her: “Erica’s happiness was contagious. She loved to dance and sing and loved spending time in Portugal with her family. She wanted to become a midwife as she loved children and also studied travel and tourism. She was incredibly intelligent and studied hard and got good grades in school .
“Erica was due to celebrate her 18th birthday on 1 June and was looking forward to having a party to celebrate her special day. She even had her outfit planned for her birthday.
“Erica was the kindest person… [she] was the baby of our very close family.
“Our family cannot put into words our tragic loss and how much we will miss her. Please respect our privacy at this very distressing time.”
Featured Image – GMP (Family Submission)
News
Manchester Airport to launch 12 more new routes across the world this summer
Emily Sergeant
Mancs will soon get the chance to travel to even more of the most beautiful and underrated places on Earth for the first time.
You may remember that back at the start of the year, Manchester Airport announced seven new ‘exciting’ flight routes to destinations across the world, and now with summer right around the corner and the decade-long £1.3 billion transformation of Terminal 2 pretty much complete, a dozen extra locations have been added to the list.
Already described as being ‘the UK’s global gateway in the North’, Manchester Airport offers a route network that’s unparalleled outside London, with more than 200 destinations served by 50 airlines – but that network is set to widen once again.
A coastal resort in Italy, an architectural gem in Greece, and the largest city in the north of Pakistan are among the cities that will gain new direct flights this summer.
Manchester Airport is launching 12 more new routes across the world this summer / Credit: Reisetopia, Malik-Tayyab & Makis-Hristaras (via Unsplash)
Two major global cities will be added to the airport’s long-haul route network this summer, with Algiers and Lahore set to gain direct flights.
The service to Algeria’s capital will be operated by national airline Air Algerie from 14 June, with prices from £263.43pp return, while Pakistan International Airlines will build upon the successful launch of its Islamabad service by adding Lahore as its second destination from Manchester from 3 July, with fares from £881.23pp return.
Other destinations on the list include easyJet’s new service to Bari in southern Italy, launching on 3 July, Preveza, an airport in mainland Greece that serves as the access point for the picturesque island of Lefkada, starting on 24 June, and Ryanair’s new services to Castellon in eastern Spain and Rimini, a city on Italy’s Adriatic coast, both starting on 1 and 3 June, respectively.
A coastal resort in Italy and an architectural gem in Greece are some of the new destinations / Credit: Alain Rouiller & Jonny Africa (via Unsplash)
A handful of Jet2 services to new locations for the airline have already taken flight over the past couple of months, including La Palma, Palermo, and Pula in Croatia.
“We know people are just as keen as ever to enjoy a holiday abroad this summer, and while places like Mallorca, Alicante and Faro are always in demand, we know many travellers want to explore somewhere new, even if they’re travelling to a country that they’ve visited many times before,” commented Stephen Turner, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at Manchester Airport.
“That’s why we’re so excited to see a dozen new routes coming on board this summer, several of which will connect Manchester to destinations unserved by any other northern airport.
“We’re sure these destinations will prove popular with passengers, and we’re grateful to our airlines for their ongoing commitment to offer passengers flying from Manchester unrivalled choice.”
Daisy Jackson -
1st January 2025 
