The Stalybridge areas of Millbrook and Carrbrook were the most affected by the incident – however, it was luckily confirmed from the police’s initial enquiries, as well as from the updates provided by partnering emergency services at the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) who also attended, that there have thankfully been no injuries reported.
#UPDATE | At around 11.45pm yesterday evening (Wednesday 27 December 2023), Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called to numerous reports of significant damage to various properties across Stalybridge in Tameside.
— Tameside North and East Police (GMP) (@GMPTamesideN) December 28, 2023
Temporary shelter and support services are currently being provided for the displaced and affected residents by Tameside Council.
ADVERTISEMENT
GMP is advising that anyone affected should keep a close eye on and monitor Tameside Council’s social media for advice and guidance, or call 0161 342 2222 where Council representatives will be on hand to offer support.
While this damaging weather event was initially described as being a “localised tornado”, Met Office meteorologists have referred to it as a ‘supercell thunderstorm’ at this point, and say they know from their Dopplar radar that it had a strong rotating updraft.
ADVERTISEMENT
Experts are still waiting for surface data to confirm, but have admitted that the presence of these features “suggests a tornado at the surface was likely”.
Last night a supercell thunderstorm crossed Greater Manchester causing damage. We know from our Dopplar radar that it had a strong rotating updraft. Whilst we don't yet have surface data to confirm, the presence of these features suggests a tornado at the surface was likely 🌪️ pic.twitter.com/XEG1TkKbjN
But what exactly is a ‘supercell thunderstorm’ then? Why does it occur? And how does it differ from the regular thunderstorm we’re all used to?
Well, the answer is all in the tornado.
ADVERTISEMENT
What is a tornado?
The Met Office defines a tornado as a “swirling column of air” that spins rapidly with winds of over 40mph or 60kph.
Described by weather experts as being one of the most violent and dramatic weather types on the planet, which serve as a demonstration of the “destructive power of our turbulent atmosphere”, there are several different types of tornado – with the fastest wind speeds ever recorded for a tornado being over 300mph or 480kph.
Not only are they the fastest wind speeds ever recorded for a tornado, they are actually the fastest winds ever recorded on Earth, according to the Met Office.
How is a tornado formed?
Tornadoes form in “very unsettled weather conditions” as part of severe thunderstorms, according to experts at the Met Office.
A tornado typically has the form of a twisting funnel-shaped cloud between the cloud base and the ground. Sometimes the vortex can appear as a slender rope-like form, particularly when the tornado is weakening, although sometimes a tornado can be almost invisible, and is only observable by the debris thrown up from the surface.
ADVERTISEMENT
Tornadoes usually form from big thunderstorms called ‘supercells’ – which was the case for the incident last night in Stalybridge – but can form from other types of storms too, with tropical cyclones being one of the most common.
Tornadoes form in “very unsettled weather conditions” as part of severe thunderstorms / Credit: Met Office
How is a ‘supercell thunderstorm’ different to a regular thunderstorm?
A thunderstorm is defined by the Met Office as a series of sudden electrical discharges that result from atmospheric conditions.
Most thunderstorms are associated with towering clouds known as cumulonimbus, and the right conditions for the formation of a thunderstorm are unstable air and a mechanism for causing air to rise – which is usually hot and humid air, with lots of energy.
When a thunderstorm is being fed lots of warm and moist air, it continues to grow and can begin to rotate, and then, if this rotation begins to lower from the cloud, a tornado begins to form – however, at this stage, it’s just called a ‘funnel cloud’.
It’s only when the funnel reaches the ground that becomes a tornado.
Featured Image – Tameside Council
News
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
‘The average cost of a pint’ in the UK by region, according to the latest data
Danny Jones
Does it feel like pints keep getting more and more expensive almost every week at this point? Yes. Yes, it does, and while you can’t expect a city as big as Manchester to be one of the cheapest places to get one in the UK, we do often wonder how it compares to other parts of the country.
Well, as it happens, someone has recently crunched the numbers for us across the nation, breaking down which regions pay the most and the least for their pints.
The data has been examined by business management consultancy firm, CGA Strategy, using artificial intelligence and information from the latest Retail Price Index figures to find out what the ‘average cost of a pint’ is down south, up North and everywhere in between.
While the latest statistics provided by the group aren’t granular enough to educate us on Greater Manchester’s pint game exactly, we can show you how our particular geographic region is looking on the leaderboard at the moment.
That’s right, we Mancunians and the rest of the North West are technically joint mid-table when it comes to the lowest average cost of a pint, sharing the places from 3rd to 8th – according to CGA, anyway.
Powered by consumer intelligence company, NIQ (NielsenIQ) – who also use AI and the latest technology to deliver their insights – we can accept it might seem like it’s been a while since you’ve paid that little for a pint, especially in the city centre, but these are the stats they have published.
Don’t shoot the messenger, as they say; unless, of course, they’re trying to rob you blind for a bev. Fortunately, we’ve turned bargain hunting at Manchester bars into a sport at this point.
We might not boast the lowest ‘average’ pint cost in the UK, but we still have some bloody good places to keep drinking affordable.
London tops the charts (pretends to be shocked)
While some of you may have scratched your eyes at the supposed average pint prices here in the North West, it won’t surprise any of you to see that London leads the way when it came to the most expensive pint when it came to average cost in the UK.
To be honest, £5.44 doesn’t just sound cheap but virtually unheard of these days.
CGA has it that the average cost of a beer in the British capital is actually down 15p from its price last September, but as we all know, paying upwards of £7 for a pint down that end of the country is pretty much par for the course the closer you get to London.
Yet more reason you can be glad you live around here, eh? And in case you thought you were leaving this article with very little, think again…
Emily Sergeant -
28th December 2023 
