Angela FergusonNorth West

A Met Office yellow severe warning for strong winds and rain is in place across Greater Manchester due to Storm Amy.
The first named storm of the season was forecast to bring hit the North West from Friday afternoon into Saturday, the Met Office said.
“Storm Amy will be an impactful autumn storm for many in Scotland and Northern Ireland, though impacts will also spread to north west England and Wales, as well as a more widespread windy period for the rest of the UK,” Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said.
“The warnings highlight a danger to life, the possibility of power cuts, travel disruption and particularly dangerous conditions near coasts,” he added.
A Met Office spokesperson said Storm Amy would be “a notably strong October storm”.
Past named storms since 2015 had seen wind gusts reaching 80 to 90 mph (129-145km/h), they explained.
Sarah Cook, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Storm Amy is expected to bring heavy rainfall that may lead to minor surface flooding across parts of the north of England and Midlands this Friday and Saturday.”
She said Environment Agency teams would be “out on the ground, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding and supporting local authorities in responding to surface water flooding”.
“We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and coastal paths, and not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car,” she added.
Ms Cook advised people to search ‘check my flood risk’ online, sign up for free flood warnings, and check the Environment Agency’s social media updates.
Hourly Storm Amy forecast for Manchester for Saturday
07:00: Wind gust 46mph and high of 9C
08:00: Wind gust 50mph and high of 9C
09:00: Wind gust 53mph and high of 9C
10:00: Wind gust 56mph and high of 9C
11:00: Wind gust 55mph and high of 9C
12:00: Wind gust 53mph and high of 10C
13:00: Wind gust 52mph and high of 11C
14:00: Wind gust 50mph and high of 12C
15:00: Wind gust 49mph and high of 12C
16:00: Wind gust 48mph and high of 12C
17:00: Wind gust 46mph and high of 12C
18:00: Wind gust 43mph and high of 12C
19:00: Wind gust 43mph and high of 11C
20:00: Wind gust 44mph and high of 11C
21:00: Wind gust 44mph and high of 11C
22:00: Wind gust 45mph and high of 11C
23:00: Wind gust 45mph and high of 11C