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Thunderstorms could hit Greater Manchester today as Met Office issues yellow weather warning

No watching the Euros in a beer garden today.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 18th June 2024

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for parts of the country as Greater Manchester could be hit with a thunderstorm today (Tuesday, 18 June).

So much for summer getting started.

It looked like Manchester was finally being treated to some patches of sun as we approach the warmer months but it now looks as though the forecast is set to snap back into local normality with the risk of thunderstorms hitting the country this week.

Yellow weather warnings have been issued not just in our area but across the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, parts of the East Midlands and various other regions across the UK.

The warning has been officially set to last from 11am this morning until 9pm this evening across Greater Manchester, with Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, Tameside and the city centre all likely to be affected.

As stated on the Met Office website, the conditions are expected to cause disruption to public transport and travel in general, stating that “there is a good chance driving conditions will be affected by spray, standing water and/or hail, leading to longer journey times by car and bus”.

“Short-term loss of power and other services is possible”, as well as “some flooding of a few homes and businesses”, along with the chance of falling debris and damage to buildings/structures.

Delays to train and bus services are also possible.

Thunderstorms are expected to hit Manchester today. (Credit: Met Office)

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The meteorologists went on to explain that “slow-moving thunderstorms and heavy showers may cause some disruption to travel and outdoor activities”, with the heaviest period of rainfall expected from around noon for most areas.

Here in Greater Manchester, however, it is thought that the most significant downpour will take place around 7pm. Meanwhile, heat-wise, they forecast that things are expected to stay “generally cool but feeling warm in any sunshine”, only reaching a top temperature of around 15C.

We hope you brought your anorak to work today.

That being said, the weather is said to improve from Wednesday onwards, with highs of around 21C predicted for Thursday and Friday.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Gerald England (via Geograph)/Rubbish computer (via Wikimedia Commons)/Craig Sunter (via Flickr)

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More than 100 ‘unsafe’ counterfeit Labubus seized in Oldham

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson 104 counterfeit Labubus have been seized

More than 100 counterfeit Labubus and accessories have been seized in Oldham, the council has announced.

The Labubu dolls – a plush collectible with giant smiles and bunny ears – have been seized because they are fake, and unsafe.

The haul of 104 Labubus has been given a street value of between £800 and £1000 – but if they were the real deal, they’d be worth more than three times as much.

The poorly-made figures were being sold for a fraction of the price of a real Labubu, which are manufactured by Chinese company Pop Mart (it’s set to open its second Manchester store in the Trafford Centre next week).

Oldham Council’s Trading Standards team said it seized the counterfeit Labubus from local businesses and found that they were unsafe and poorly made.

Officers raised concerns about the safety of the dolls, which had small parts such as eyes, hands and feet broke off easily, creating a choking hazard.

What a genuine Labubu should look like. Credit: The Hoot Leeds

They were also missing legally required safety marks such as the CE or UKCA labels, and lacked the name and address of a UK supplier, which is another legal requirement.

Councillor Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, said: “Oldham Trading Standards carries out regular checks to help keep unsafe products off the shelves. In this case, these counterfeit toys failed safety standards and have now been removed from sale.

“We know it can be tempting to buy toys that look like a bargain, but parents need to be extra careful. Fake toys like these may be cheaper, but they can put children in real danger if they’re not made to strict safety standards.

“If anyone has concerns about toys they’ve purchased, or if they see unsafe products on sale locally, we’d encourage them to get in touch with Trading Standards through the Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.”

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Featured image: Oldham Council

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Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A list of roads in Manchester that are set to be resurfaced before the summer is out has been published.

Manchester City Council recently asked residents in the region what their priorities were for their community and what issues they wanted to see tackled – and for many, the answer was the quality of the road surfaces.

Since then, the Council says it has been ‘engaged’ in a long-running programme of improvement works throughout the borough.

Now, with just over a month of the summer season left, it has been confirmed that some vital resurfacing works are due to start over the coming weeks in north and central Manchester, bringing a range of improvements to key district roads along with it.

First up, from Saturday 9 August, Hollinwood Avenue is to be resurfaced.

The Council has published a list of Manchester roads that are set to be resurfaced this summer / Credit: MJ Richardson (via Geograph)

Anticipated to take six weeks to complete, this work will be carried out during weekend closures from 8am-5pm, with the road remaining open during the working week.

The closure area will be between Greengates Roundabout and the Oldham boundary at Owler Lane, and a signed diversion route will be in place while work is carried out, and access for residents will be maintained at all times. 

Then, starting from Saturday 16 August, resurfacing works will begin on Moss Lane East, between Alexandra Road and Princess Road. 

Work will take place between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, and 8am and 5pm on weekends, and during the works, the road will be completely closed – with a signed diversion route in place and access for residents maintained. 

As always, disruption is expected and the public is encouraged to plan ahead / Credit: Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)

These works are expected to take six weeks to complete, and as with all resurfacing projects, residents should expect some disruption and may need to plan ahead.

The Council is aiming to keep disruption to the public at a minimum, where possible.

“We know how important it is to our residents that key roads are well maintained, which is why were glad to be able to deliver this latest round of improvement works,” commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport at Manchester City Council.

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“I’d like to thank people ahead of time for their patience during the course of these works and would advise them to check when closures will be in place and where the diversions are.”

You can find more information on the resurfacing works on the Council website here.

Featured Image – Pix4Free

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