Storm Barra damages part of Chill Factore building

The storm comes less than two weeks since Storm Arwen

Published 7th Dec 2021

Gusty winds and heavy rain are battering many areas Greater Manchester as Storm Barra sweeps its way across the country.

The Met Office is predicting 70mph winds with sleet and snow for some areas as Storm Barra hits the UK less than two weeks since Storm Arwen, leaving thousands around the country without power.

Chill Factore near the Trafford Centre has had to close its indoor ski slope, after strong winds damaged one of its buildings.

There are also warnings on the roads for drivers to take care near Barton Bridge on the M60, as well as on the M6 near the Lymm Interchange.

Met Office worker, Rachel Ayers, says the storm is slightly different to Storm Arwen but still warns of potential power shortages.

Rachel said: "Storm Barra is coming from the South West, whereas Storm Arwen was more situated in a Northerly wind direction to many places. For a lot of places that is going to mean that the impact is going to be felt in slightly different areas.

"With the yellow warning it's still worth noting that there may be some travel delays and some power lines may go down. Bare in mind that if you don't need to travel on Tuesday that you should maybe change your plans if necessary as there may still be strong winds around.

First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.