The Met Office has issued a ‘stay indoors’ warning ahead of the arrival of Storm Eunice on Friday, which is forecast to bring snow and strong winds of up to 100mph in northern England.
After it was reported earlier this week that the UK was to be hit by two storms within three days, which would bring strong winds, heavy rain showers, and even some snow and ‘blizzard conditions’, Storm Dudley arrived on Tuesday night into Wednesday, and left thousands of homes without power across the north and Scotland, and also caused travel chaos on roads and train lines.
Yellow weather alerts with an amber warnings were put in place for the two events.
Now, after a brief respite on Thursday, people are being warned to prepare for even worse weather as Storm Eunice moves in and threatens “significant disruption” for much of the UK.
As well as advising people to stay indoors if possible, the Met Office has also issued a “danger to life” amber warning which covers all of the north, and widespread parts of England for tomorrow, and unfortunately, there’s also warnings of further power outages and disruption to transport services as well.
More than 14,000 people suffered power outages, and travel was disrupted by uprooted trees across the UK following winds of more than 80mph during Storm Dudley.
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Looking ahead to #StormEunice on Friday, we are expecting to see even more dangerous weather conditions moving in 💨
“Yellow and amber warnings for wind have been issued for Storm Eunice, which is going to impact much of the UK on Friday,” the Met Office confirmed in a statement.
“The most significant wind gusts are expected in the south and west of the UK, with an amber warning now in force here from the early hours of Friday morning.
“Inland areas could see gusts to around 80mph, bringing the potential for fallen trees, damage to buildings and travel disruption [and] although Storm Eunice’s strongest winds will be on its southern edge, the northern flank of the system brings the potential for some snow to northern areas.
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“A yellow warning for wind and snow has been issued covering Northern Ireland, northern England and southern Scotland, where potentially up to 20cm of snow could accumulate over high ground, with up to 5cm possible in some lower areas.
“Brisk winds in this area could cause blizzard-like conditions and drifting of lying snow, reducing visibility, and making driving conditions difficult.”
The Met Office has issued a ‘danger to life’ amber warning for tomorrow / Credit: Met Office
Explaining the impact Storm Eunice is likely the have and the reason for its arrival, Frank Saunders – Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office – said: “An active jet stream is helping to drive low-pressure systems across the country.
“Significant disruption is possible from Storm Eunice, with strong winds one of the main themes of the current forecast.
“Storm Eunice is expected to track eastwards from early on Friday, bringing the most significant winds to the central and southern areas of the UK, with some gusts possible in excess of 95mph in exposed coastal areas.”
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Storm Eunice’s amber warning for northern England begins at 3am on Friday and lasts until 9pm, and a snow warning in northern areas is in place from 3am until 6pm the same day.
Andy Burnham wants to bring the ‘Greater Manchester way’ to Westminster
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has set out his vision for the country if he is to become Prime Minister.
In case you need brining up to speed first, after it was announced earlier this month that Andy Burnham had clinched the victory in the crucial Makerfield by-election, winning 24,927 votes (54.8% vote share) and a majority of 9,231, he then went onto announce his intention to run for Labour Party leader, and therefore Prime Minister, after Keir Starmer confirmed he would be stepping down.
And this week, Mr Burnham has now delivered his first speech as part of his ongoing campaign, addressing how he plans to give the country a ‘new direction’.
Burnham says that he wants to bring the ‘Greater Manchester way’ to Westminster.
A lot has been discussed and reported on when it comes to Burnham’s intentions to create a so-called Number 10 North here in Manchester, but what exactly does it mean to take the ‘Greater Manchester way’ to the capital?
“The Greater Manchester way is based on strong partnership between all sectors: public, private, community, voluntary, academic, faith, and our trade unions,” Burnham said in his speech.
He continued: “When I started as Mayor in 2017, we set about building a new approach, a new politics based on the exact opposite of the Westminster approach.
“Place-first, not party-first. Problem-solving, not point-scoring. Long-term, not short-term.
“A decade on, it’s incredible how much we’ve been able to achieve by working together instead of fighting against one another.”
Burnham said he feels the truth is that the country spends ‘too much time arguing and not enough time doing’ and that for Britain to get back where it ‘should be’, his Government would ask everyone to ‘face the same way’ and then ‘pull in that same direction together’.
He declared that No 10 North will be the ‘nerve centre’ for a rewired Britain.
“It will be the conduit through which we redistribute power and resources across the UK,” he concluded. “It will coordinate all parts of Government, at national and local level, to agree a long-term economic strategy and help all places set new growth ambitions.”
Featured Image – GMCA
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Body of missing 15-year-old boy recovered from water at Salford country park
Emily Sergeant
The body of a missing 15-year-old boy has sadly been recovered from the water at a country park in Salford.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called to reports of a teenager getting in to difficulty in the water at Clifton Country Park in Salford at around 4:51pm this past Saturday (27 June).
Since then, emergency services – including partners from Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (GMFRS) and North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) – have been working together to locate the missing boy.
But despite their best efforts, a body was, unfortunately, located in the water yesterday (29 June).
The body was recovered from the water by specialists at North West Under Water Search and Marine Unit, GMP confirmed.
Formal identification is yet to take place, but police are supporting the family of the missing boy in the meantime.
“Saturday’s incident is truly heartbreaking,” commented Detective Inspector Dave Ogden, from the Salford CID.
“My thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of the young boy who has so tragically lost his life. While we are satisfied there are no suspicious circumstances, this incident is an incredibly upsetting reminder of the serious risks associated with open water.
“We understand people want to make the most of the warm weather, but we would urge everyone to stay safe and avoid entering reservoirs, rivers, canals or ponds.
“Please take care and enjoy the weather in a safe way.”
Emily Sergeant -
17th February 2022 
