Storm Lilian causes power cuts and travel delays

This tree in Preston is one of many brought down by Storm Lilian

Thousands of homes across the north-west of England have been left without power and travel has been disrupted by Storm Lilian.

Properties across Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Cheshire are currently affected by power cuts, Electricity North West has reported.

About 18,000 properties have been without power across the region, the majority of which were said to be in Lancashire, with hundreds also affected in Greater Manchester and in Cheshire.

The storm has also caused major disruption on the roads and public transport networks, with a number of lines suspended earlier on the Manchester Metrolink.

One resident in Heswall reported that Storm Lilian had claimed their "beloved oak tree"

An Electricity North West spokesperson said they had been able to restore power to about 15,000 properties using automatic restoration systems.

Engineers had been dispatched "when it was safe to do so" and were working to restore power to the remaining 3,000 properties, they added.

Electricity North West incident manager Richard Moulton said: “Despite the very challenging conditions, which saw strong winds and heavy rain hit the region, we’ve already been able to make some good progress.

“We were well prepared in advance and drafted in teams of engineers who were able to respond first thing this morning."

He said conditions were now starting to ease and teams were tackling faults that had been caused by trees and branches landing on overhead lines.

“If you see lines down or damage to any of our equipment, stay well clear and call us on 105 so we can make the area safe," he advised.

The Bee Network has warned of disruption, reporting that a number of trees have fallen across the Manchester area, including at Piccadilly.

A Transport for Greater Manchester spokesperson said: “Strong winds from Storm Lillian are causing disruption on the transport network this morning.

“A number of trees have been brought down by the storm across the Metrolink network leading to a number of lines being suspended and we are working to get all lines reopen as soon as possible."

TfGM urged anyone planning to travel on Friday to check before setting off.

“There is also disruption on the roads, which is impacting some Bee Network bus services, and disruption to rail services," the TfGM spokesperson added.