Dramatic pictures show lightning that was cast over the region on Wednesday night, as the weather took a moody turn. Images show the fork lightning over Wigan at around 5.30pm, as Greater Manchester braces for heavy showers throughout the night.
Parts of the UK were told to expect heavy rain and possible floods on Wednesday (September 7). Two hurricanes in the North Atlantic are expected to affect the weather in Europe in coming days, according to experts at the Met Office.
And as the grey heavy clouds masked the skies over Manchester, following a day of temperatures as high as 20C in some areas, sharp forks of lightning were seen flashing overhead. Pictures submitted by Mark Stock show the scenes in Wigan on Wednesday evening.
In North West England, heavy showers are likely over the next couple of days, although temperatures should remain relatively high. On Thursday, Manchester is expected to see another day of sunny spells and scattered showers, followed by potentially heavy and thundery conditions.
Did you capture any videos or pictures of the lightning on Wednesday night? Get in touch with us at newsdesk@men-news.co.uk
Explaining the impact of the hurricanes on UK weather, Met Office Chief Forecaster Paul Gundersen said: “During autumn, forecasters have the added complication of trying to estimate the impacts of ex-hurricanes when they work their way into the North Atlantic.
"Although the cooler conditions outside of the tropics cause them to decay quickly, they can bring disruption to weather patterns by bringing lots of moist and relatively warm air which often becomes entrained within other home-grown weather systems.”
Looking at the forecast for the rest of the week, Manchester can expect relatively warm temperatures, with peaks of around 22C. Overcast conditions and heavy showers are expected from Thursday afternoon, with lighter downpours expected on Friday.
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