Storm Eunice: Greater Manchester travel warning issued

Overhead lines are susceptible to high winds

People across Greater Manchester have been strongly urged to avoid all but "absolutely necessary" travel when Storm Eunice hits the region on Friday.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) made the call as the Met Office issued an amber weather warning for between 03:00 and 21:00 GMT.

Extremely strong winds are forecast, as well as snow in some areas.

TfGM warned the storm could see Metrolink and rail lines blocked by falling branches and uprooted trees.

A statement from the transport body said: "There is a good chance that flying debris could result in a danger to life.

"With the storm likely to cause significant disruption to public transport networks through delayed or cancelled services, commuters are being asked consider whether their journey is necessary.

"If you need to travel, please check close to the time of your departure and plan ahead to take into account potential disruptions and reduced timetables."

• Follow live updates about Storm Eunice

Interim head of operations Alex Cropper said: "I'd strongly urge people to stay safe and think carefully before travelling and travel only if absolutely necessary."

Train operator Northern, which operates about 2,000 services a day, connecting more than 500 stations, has warned passengers not to travel on Friday.

Chris Jackson, regional director for Northern, said: "Storm Eunice will cause widespread disruption across the network tomorrow, affecting all operators in the region.

"As such, we are advising passengers not to travel and to consider whether the journey is necessary."

But Assistant Chief Constable Wasim Chaudhry, chairman of the Greater Manchester Resilience Forum, moved to reassure the public that it was "well placed to handle any arising problems".

"I'm confident that together we are all well prepared, have the people and resources in place that we may need and a strong plan to respond to incidents if we need to," he added.

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]