Greater Manchester braces itself for the arrival of Storm Aileen
It's the first storm of the season to be given a name.
Last updated 12th Sep 2017
The storm forecast to hit Greater Manchester this evening has become the first of the season to be given a name. Aileen is due to arrive at around 5pm (12th September), with the worst of the winds forecast to kick in at midnight and last into tomorrow morning.
The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for gusts of 55-65 mph. Gales up to 75mph could also be possible in places on the coast and hilly areas.
A Yellow weather warning for rain is also in place for the North West, where anywhere between 30-40mm of rain could fall within 6-9 hours.
Chief forecaster Frank Saunders said: “Storm Aileen is expected to bring strong winds of up to 75mph to a central segment of the UK and an Amber weather warning has been issued. As well as the strong winds, there will be some heavy rain pushing eastwards overnight which could see accumulations of 30-40mm. The low pressure system that is bringing these strong winds will move fairly swiftly from west to east over the UK and although there will still be some disruption through Wednesday morning, the winds will ease by the afternoon leaving a day of blustery showers.”
John Fryer, TfGM’s Transport and Event Planning Lead, said: “We advise all passengers to take extra care tonight and tomorrow when you're out and about, no matter what form of transport you use. Please plan ahead and allow more time for your journey as disruption to journey times is likely.
“Follow TfGM’s social media channels and check with your operator for the latest travel and transport updates.”
There has been some speculation that the freak weather is being driven by the severe weather in the Caribbean and US but Met Office Deputy Meterologist, Chris Tubbs, says that's not the case: “There are no links between the very strong winds we expect to see here in the UK and the hurricanes affecting the United States and the Caribbean at present. This system originated well north in the Atlantic Ocean, independent of the current Caribbean hurricanes”.
For information on how public transport across Greater Manchester is affected, visit www.tfgm.com, call 0161 244 1000 (7am-8pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am-8pm at weekends and bank holidays) or follow @OfficialTfGM on Twitter