Power restored after Lancashire and Manchester storms
- Published
Lightning storm in Manchester
Power has been restored to about 20,000 properties left in darkness after torrential storms struck the north west of England.
Tuesday night's deluge caused widespread power cuts in Lancashire and led to the postponement of Manchester City's Champions League game.
Meanwhile, the Metrolink suspended all tram lines due to lightning strikes and Manchester Airport was forced to divert incoming flights.
Several flood warnings, external remain in place.
They include parts of Manchester, with Fallowfield, Chorlton-cum-Hardy and Cheetham Hill among the areas affected.
Huge streaks of lightning could be seen above Manchester City's Etihad stadium
The torrential downpour meant the club's Champions League match against Borussia Mönchengladbach was abandoned
Lightning flashes through the Manchester sky behind the Palace Hotel
Manchester's Metrolink system was suspended during the storms
Electricity North West said homes in Colne, Burnley and Nelson were affected by the power cut, but supplies were restored overnight.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) reported "high numbers" of 999 calls made after the storms hit.
GMFRS said it received 106 calls, external between 18:30 and 20:00 from people reporting flooding and weather-related issues.
They included a woman and children trapped inside a car in floodwater under a railway bridge in Stockport and electrical faults caused by the excessive rain.
Market Street in Manchester was left in several inches of flood water
A car park close to Manchester's Victoria railway station was flooded in the deluge
Vivid lightning was photographed in Lees, Greater Manchester
Manchester Airport was unable to accept any incoming flights during the height of the storm and had to divert a number of planes to other airports.
Manchester City's Champions League group clash at home to German side Borussia Mönchengladbach was postponed less than half an hour before kick off because of a flooded Etihad Stadium pitch.
It has been rearranged for 19:45 BST on Wednesday.
The cosmetics counters at Manchester's Harvey Nichols department store were also flooded.
A motorist in Ramsbottom films lightning using a fixed dashboard camera
Flood warnings were issued as the rain continued to fall
The lightning was photographed over Stockport
Meteorologist Mark Wilson said there was a lot of rain in a "very short space of time" in the region and a lot of thunder and lightning.
Mr Wilson said: "Prestbury had 32.4mm of rain in an hour - which is pretty exceptional."