Manchester Pride organisers are closely monitoring Storm Lilian as it sweeps across the region but currently expect the event to proceed as scheduled.

The storm, hitting Greater Manchester this morning, has brought heavy rain and strong winds of up to 60mph, causing significant damage.

Leeds Festival has also been thrown into chaos as gusts delayed start and the closure of several stages due to severe weather conditions and revellers have been advised to secure their tents and stay inside their cars.

The Met Office said gusts of 80mph will continue to cause travel disruption, flooding, power cuts and dangerous conditions near coastal areas.

Thousands of homes have been plunged into darkness as Storm Lilian continues to wreak havoc across parts of Britain, disrupting Bank Holiday plans and causing widespread power outages.

The storm unleashed travel chaos after British Airways was forced to cancel international and domestic flights at Heathrow Airport.

Forecasters has issued two yellow weather warnings for rain in south-west Scotland and the Aberdeenshire coast from 9pm on Thursday to 9am on Friday.

Key Points

• Manchester Pride issue statement amid storm

• Leeds Festival delayed as severe weather shuts down stages

• Storm Lilian sweeps in heavy rain and strong winds

• British Airways cancels flights on Bank Holiday weekend

• Thousands of Cheshire homes plunged into darkness by power cuts

Pictured: Storm Lilian hits outside the UK in Denmark’s Toender Festival,

15:45 , Salma Ouaguira

‘The storm came out of nowhere’

15:30 , Salma Ouaguira

A 20-year-old attending Leeds Festival said he has seen tents flying in the wind as the gusts “came out of nowhere”.

Declan Donnelly, an engineering production operator from Manchester, told the PA news agency he was “woken up to my tent folding in (and I was) struggling to get out of it.”

“The storm came out of nowhere. Roughly about 8.15am hundreds of people were woken up to things hitting tents, barriers and tents collapsing. We’ve seen tents, brollys, clothes, all being carried by the wind,” he said.

“We had to hold onto our tent for about one to two hours as well as double peg it as when the gusts hit it was nearly flying off.

“It seems to have calmed down now but there’s lots of tents ripped, collapsed and destroyed, with a fair few tents left by people who have chosen to go home.”

Mr Donnelly filmed a video showing a tent flying high in the air over the campgrounds.

Scenes from London Bridge

15:15 , Salma Ouaguira

Met Office issues new yellow warning covering half of London

15:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Leeds Festival attendees experience ‘worst day ever’ amid storm winds

14:40 , Salma Ouaguira

An attendee of Leeds Festival said she was experiencing the “worst day ever” as her tent has been destroyed and her group have been asked to leave their area because the windy conditions are “really bad”.

Carrie Gill, 19, told the PA news agency that “basically our whole tent is gone” and she has spent £60 on a new tipi tent, which she has not been able to erect yet because of the weather.

The university student based in Durham said: “All the rain came in because the poles pulled so hard from the wind the fabric ripped open and leaked the whole tent with the rain. We even put those rock plastic pegs in the bottom and they have snapped.

“We aren’t allowed back into the area for hours, all our stuff is in our mates’ tent, phones on 30%. All the stores have blown over, the urinal walls are gone and lads are just pissing against fences, people’s tents are in the sky, the store shops are all over the floor and shirts and things from stores are gone. It’s honestly really bad here.”

She is waiting in a McDonald’s and will be waiting there “for a while it looks like,” adding that “it’s the worst day ever” and if her new tipi “doesn’t last”, she will be forced to return home.

“As you can imagine being a student, it’s quite an expensive festival to be going to and to be let down like this,” she added.

Dozens of flight cancellations at Heathrow airport

14:20 , Simon Calder

High winds have reduced the “flow rate” at which flights to London Heathrow airport can land.

British Airways has cancelled more than 20 short-haul flights at its main base on Friday. Two round-trips to each of Rome and Paris were grounded, as well as links to Barcelona and Basel.

On the domestic network, single BA round-trips from Heathrow to Aberdeen, Belfast City, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester have been cancelled.

A British Airways spokesperson said: “Due to restrictions imposed by air-traffic control as a result of adverse weather across the UK, we’ve made some minor adjustments to our schedule.

“We’ve apologised to our customers for the disruption to their travel plans and to help get them to their destinations as quickly as possible.”

SAS Scandinavian Airlines has grounded a flight from Oslo to Heathrow and back, while American Airlines flights to New York and Charlotte were cancelled.

Leeds Festival: Stages down, revellers urged to stay safe

14:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Leeds Festival has been severly impacted by Storm Lilian, with high winds leading to major disruptions.

Organisers have advised festival-goers to remaiin in their tents as gale-force winds continue to batter the site.

The BC Radio 1 and Aux stages have been officially closed for the day, with no performances scheduled due to the severe weather conditions.

Festival orginisers posted an updated on X stating that the area will not open at 11am as planned but they are working to reopen as soon as conditions improve.

They urged attendees to stay safe and remain in their tents or vehicles until the storms fades away.

Met Office reveals most powerful gusts in the UK

13:45 , Salma Ouaguira

Manchester Pride set to continue despite Storm Lilian disruptions

13:35 , Salma Ouaguira

Manchester Pride organisers are closely monitoring Storm Lilian as it sweeps across the region but currently expect the event to proceed as scheduled.

The storm, hitting Greater Manchester this morning, has brought heavy rain and strong winds of up to 60mph, causing significant damage.

Trees have fallen on cars, homes, and tram lines throughout the area. Several events have already been affected including the Bolton Food and Drink Festival, which has been postponed due to damange to stalls and the main stage.

Despite the adverse weather, thousands are still expected in the sity centre for Manchester Pirde, one of the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations.

The four-day event will feature headliners like Rita Ora, Sugababes, and Loreen, with Jessie J and Keala Settle performing tonight.

Event organisers remain optimistic, with forecasts suggesting the storm will ease by this afternoon.

Northern Powergrid confirms over 60,000 customers affected by power cuts

13:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Northern Powergrid has reported significant power disruptions affecting over 60,000 customers due to Storm Lilian.

The company, which serves north-east England, Yorkshire, and northern Lincolnshire, has managed to restore power to more than 27,000 households so far.

Director of customer service at the firm claimed the company is focusing on addressing the urgent situation swiftly.

“Our main priorities are to deal with emergency situations as quickly as possible, supporting our customers and ensure our people can work safely as soon as the conditions allow,” said Louise Lowes.

Leeds festival issue major update

13:10 , Salma Ouaguira

Leeds festival hit by Storm Lilian chaos ahead of Liam Gallagher’s headline performance

13:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Leeds Festival has been thrown into chaos as England is battered by gusts of up to 80mph, with Storm Lilian sparking yellow warnings across the country.

On Friday (23 August), organisers behind the annual festival announced a delayed start and the closure of several stages due to severe weather conditions.

This year’s Reading and Leeds festivals was being headlined by Liam Gallagher, Blink 182, producer Fred Again…, Lana Del Rey, Gerry Cinnamon, and Catfish and the Bottlemen.

Gallagher is due to headline Leeds festival tonight and so far seems unperturbed by the chaos unfolding onsite.

“LEEDS VIBES IN THE AREA LG,” the rock’n’roll star shared to X/Twitter earlier this morning.

The Independent’s music editor has the full story:

Leeds festival hit by Storm Lilian ahead of Liam Gallagher performance

Severe delays hit London Overground and faulty train causes disruptions

12:52 , Salma Ouaguira

The London Underground network has been running smoothly this morning, but the Overground is experiencing severe delays.

Transport for London (TfL) reported significant disruptions on the Overground line between Willesden Junction and Clapham Junction, extending to Richmond.

The delays are due to a malfunctioning train at Kentish Town West earlier today.

Leeds Festival campers hit by powerful winds

12:45 , Salma Ouaguira

Storm Lilian branded ‘bonkers weather for August’

12:35 , Salma Ouaguira

A resident of Whitefield in Greater Manchester labelled the storm “bonkers weather for August” as he saw downed trees on his morning dog walk.

Claims adviser Simon Johnson, 44, told the PA news agency: “It’s like a green explosion with leaves and tree branches littering the streets.”

Leeds Festival campers ‘gripping onto their tents’

12:30 , Salma Ouaguira

A Leeds Festival attendee said he is gripping his tent to prevent it from blowing away and saw the perimeter wall fall on empty tents and smash a van window.

Dylan Maggs, 26, told the PA news agency that he saw that “many people unpoled and flattened their tents around 7am”, and his group have “been waiting for it to pass”.

“We’re currently sitting on our tents so they don’t fly away,” he said, adding: “Practically all of us are gripping onto our tents, and there’s six of us.”

His group was “right next” to the perimeter fence when it came down, saying: “It looks worse than it was for sure – no-one was inside of the tents when it came down. A fence also took out a van’s window.

“We’re just laughing through it, not much else we can do really, it’s annoying but it is what it is. We’ve seen a lot of people ditch tents and leave.”

Bolton Food and Drink Festival battered by Storm Lilian

12:20 , Salma Ouaguira

At least 20 stalls at the Bolton Food and Drink Festival have been destroyed by powerful gusts.

The event, which is expected to see around half a millioin attendees, has also been hit by Storm Lilian.

Traders found their stalls on Newport Street flipped over and materials scattered this morning.

The “scenes of devastation” have forced organisers to delay the start of the four-day event to 2pm.

Council officials have also closed the town hall where festival events were due to be held.

Pictured: Trees fall down in Manchester as Storm Lilian hits

12:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Storm Lilian brings unseasonal autumn-like weather in August

11:40 , Salma Ouaguira

Storm Lilian has brought unseasonably wet and windy conditions to the UK that are not typical of August weather.

Forming rapidly from Thursday night, Lilian is a deep area of low pressure, the type often responsible for stormier weather.

According to meteorologists, low-pressure systems like this storm are marked by closely packed white lines on pressure charts, indicating stronger winds.

These low-pressure areas have been driven towards the UK by an unusual active and fast-flowing wind high in the atmosphere.

The jet stream, which can either strengthen or weaken weather systems, has been particularly powerful over the past few days.

This not only created Storm Lilian but also brought remnants of hurricane Ernesto to British shores, marking an unusal stormy August.

Storm Lilian disrupts UK travel as passengers told ‘do not travel’

11:39 , Salma Ouaguira

Today was expected to be one of the UK’s busiest travel days, but Storm Lilian has upended plans with powerful winds and widespread disruptions.

With gusts reaching up to 80mph, the storm has hit festivalgoers in Leeds and wreaked havoc on the transport network.

Train passengers across Northern routes, including Manchester, Sheffield, and Leeds, have been advised not to travel due to the severe weather.

Northern Rail issued a clear warning, urging passengers to avoid travel for now.

In the skies, British Airways has cancelled flights ar Heathrow Airport as air traffic control imposed restrictions due to the storm.

Despite the warnings, roads are still set to be packed, with the RAC predicting 3.2 million car journeys today, adding to the travel chaos.

Festival goers see tents go flying by Storm Lilian

11:35 , Salma Ouaguira

Leeds Festival issues urgent weather warning

11:24 , Salma Ouaguira

Pictured: Workers remove fallen tree branches after strong winds

11:20 , Salma Ouaguira

Storm Lilian passing but weather warning issued for south-east England

11:10 , Salma Ouaguira

As Storm Lilian moves towards Scandinavia, the UK is bracing for more unsettled weather.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain in parts of south-east England tomorrow morning.

Residents from the Isle of Wight to Ispwick, including parts of London, should prepare for “spells of rain, heavy at times,” which could cause travel disruptions and possible flooding in some areas.

Bolton Food and Drink Festival battered by Storm Lilian

15:43 , Salma Ouaguira

At least 20 stalls at the Bolton Food and Drink Festival have been destroyed by powerful gusts.

The event, which is expected to see around half a millioin attendees, has also been hit by Storm Lilian.

Traders found their stalls on Newport Street flipped over and materials scattered this morning.

The “scenes of devastation” have forced organisers to delay the start of the four-day event to the afternoon.

Council officials have also closed the town hall where festival events were due to be held.

Watch: Storm Lilian downs trees as Met Office warns of strong wind in England

10:55 , Salma Ouaguira

Storm Lilian downs trees as Met Office warns of strong wind in England

Pictured: Buildings’ scaffolding blown over in Wales

10:45 , Salma Ouaguira

Leeds Festival delayed as severe weather shuts down stages

10:37 , Salma Ouaguira

Leeds Festival organisers have announces a delayed start and the closure of several stages due to severe weather conditions.

The BBC Radio 1 Stage and Aux Stage will not host any performances today, according to a statment shared on the festival’s X account.

The three-day event, set to begin today, has been severly disrupted with organisers confirming that the arena will not open at the planned time of 11am.

However, they remain optimistic that the rest of the festival will proceed as scheduled, promising attendees an “amazing weekend” despite the setbacks.

All the delayed flights at Heathrow Airport

10:30 , Salma Ouaguira

• British Airways BA494 at 1.35pm to Palma

• British Airways BA127 at 2.05pm to Doha

• British Airways BA171 at 5.05 to Pittsburgh

• British Airways BA099 at 5.05pm to Toronto

• British Airways BA958 at 8.20pm to Munich

• British Airways BA574 at 10.25am to Milan

• Swiss International Airlines LX317 at 8.40 to Zurich

• Swiss International Airlines LX353 at 8.55am to Geneva

• British Airways BA484 at 9am to Newcastle Upon Tyne

• British Airways BA572 at 9.05am to Milan

• American Airlines AA731 at 9.15am to Charlotte

• British Airways BA712 at 9.20am to Zurich

• British Airways BA728 at 9.35am to Geneva

• British Airways BA1420 at 9.40am to Belfast

• British Airways BA496 at 9.50am to Palma

• British Airways BA384 at 10.05am to Cairo

Met Office advice to people affected by Storm Lilian

10:20 , Salma Ouaguira

The Met Office has issued advice to people who might be affected by Storm Lilian on Friday morning.

The weather agency has a yellow warning in place for rain and winds in parts of the UK.

Met Office forecaster Stephen Dixon said: “Take steps to do what you can do to protect your property and people from injury.

“[This could mean] checking for loose items around your home and planning how to secure them down, whether that’s bins, garden furniture or trampolines, and checking travel plans before you head out if you’re within those warning areas to avoid delays – and amending any plans as needed.

“Gathering torches, batteries and power packs for mobile phones can be useful things to do to prepare for power cuts.”

Thousands of Cheshire homes plunged into darkness by power cuts

10:08 , Salma Ouaguira

Thousands of homes have been plunged into darkness as Storm Lilian continues to wreak havoc across parts of Britain, disrupting Bank Holiday plans and causing widespread power outages.

SP Energy Networks reported significant power cuts in Cheshire this morning.

Homes in Chester Tarporley, Knutsford, Warrington, and other areas still without electricity. Efforts to restore power are still ongoing but many households remain affected.

The storm’s impact has extended beyond Cheshire, with 300 homes in Durham and 80 in Yorkshire left without power overnight.

In North Staffordshire, over 1,300 properties have been hit, including areas such as Madeley, Keele, Bignall End, and Halmerend. The National Grid warned the power disruptions could continue in other areas across the country.

Storm Lilian disrupts UK travel as passengers told ‘do not travel’

15:44 , Salma Ouaguira

Today was expected to be one of the UK’s busiest travel days, but Storm Lilian has upended plans with powerful winds and widespread disruptions.

With gusts reaching up to 80mph, the storm has hit festivalgoers in Leeds and wreaked havoc on the transport network.

Train passengers across Northern routes, including Manchester, Sheffield, and Leeds, have been advised not to travel due to the severe weather.

Northern Rail issued a clear warning, urging passengers to avoid travel for now.

In the skies, British Airways has cancelled flights ar Heathrow Airport as air traffic control imposed restrictions due to the storm.

Despite the warnings, roads are still set to be packed, with the RAC predicting 3.2 million car journeys today, adding to the travel chaos.

Storm Lilian pictured: Trees down and roads blocked in Leeds

09:55 , Salma Ouaguira

Check if your flight has been cancelled at Heathrow Airport

09:35 , Salma Ouaguira

• British Airways BA472 at 6.15 am to Barcelona

• British Airways BA1430 at 6.15am to Edinburgh

• British Airways BA552 at 6.50am to Rome

• British Airways BA304 at 7.10am to Paris

• British Airways BA1472 at 7.10am to Glasgow

• British Airways BA1304 at 7.30am to Aberdeen

• British Airways BA752 at 8.15am to Basel

• British Airways BA1370 at 8.45am to Manchester

• American Airlines AA173 at 9.30am to Raleigh

• British Airways BA285 at 10.10am to San Fransisco

• British Airways BA560 at 11.45am to Rome

• British Airways BA1412 at 12.10pm to Belfast

All Metrolink lines suspended in Greater Manchester

09:05 , Salma Ouaguira

Almost all Metrolink lines have been cancelled “due to the storm bringing down multiple trees across the network”.

The Bee Network said: “Due to severe weather conditions, services are running between Rochdale – Victoria and Airport – Sale Water Park.

“All other lines are currently suspended. Customers can use tickets and passes on any Bee Network services or Stagecoach services. Please check back for updates.”

Another post from the Bee Network warned: “Storm Lilian – a @metoffice yellow weather warning is in place for strong winds until 11:00. If you’re travelling on the network this morning, please plan ahead and take extra care.”

National Highways said: “#StormLilian is coming. Strong winds could impact the region overnight into Friday morning. Slow down to minimise the impact of wind gusts. Be aware of high sided vehicles on more exposed roads.”

New Order concert cancelled in Cardiff

08:57 , Salma Ouaguira

New Order has cancelled a concert in Cardiff with organisers blaming the “severe winds” and a bad weather forecast.

In a statment, the band said: “We are sorry to say that our show tonight in Cardiff is cancelled due to high winds on site.

“We are disappointed to not be performing for you all tonight, but safety of our fans & crew always comes first.”

The band are still set to perform in Manchester on Saturday.

Trains delayed and cancelled in the Midlands

08:39 , Salma Ouaguira

Railway services are disrupted in the Midlands at least until midday.

A tree has fallen onto the railway at Coleshill Parkway in Warwickshire causing the cancellation of trains running through the station.

Tickets can be used on the services below at no extra cost:

• London Northwestern Railway are between Tamworth and Nuneaton, and also between Coventry and Birmingham New Street

• West Midlands Railway between Nuneaton and Coventry

• East Midlands Railway via any reasonable route

Another tree has also blocked the line between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury blocking some railways. Trains in this line may be cancelled or delayed up to 20 minutes.

In the railway between Crewe and Stafford passengers are also experiencing delays of up to 40 minutes.

Pictured: Strong winds hit Brighton beach as Storm Lilian hits the country

08:34 , Salma Ouaguira

Breaking: Storm Lilian forces flights to stay grounded as 80mph gusts hit airports

08:32 , Salma Ouaguira

Storm Lilian has unleashed travel chaos after British Airways was forced to cancel flights at Heathrow Airport.

Winds of 80mph caused the cancellation of a number of international and domestic flights at the major London hub ahead of the August Bank Holiday.

Some of the grounded flights include popular destinations like Barcelona, Rome and Paris.

Warning for Leeds Festival campers

08:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Warning campers at Leeds Festival, Mr Dewhurst added: “The wind will pick up in that area through the night, particularly strongest towards dawn and then first thing in the morning, before then easing through the morning.

“So there could be potentially some impacts from those strong winds, of 50 to 60mph in the area so it’s worth making sure your tents are secured.

“There could also be disruption first thing to the transport networks for those travelling first thing.”

Road users urged to use alternative routes due to strong winds

08:18 , Salma Ouaguira

The impact of the severe weather has already been felt outside the expected regions, with National Highways warning the M48 Severn Bridge in Gloucestershire has been closed in both directions between J1 (Aust) and J2 (Chepstow) due to the strong winds.

Road users are advised to use the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge as an alternate route.

Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: “The strongest winds are likely to start forming through the early hours initially across parts of north Wales into the Liverpool, Blackpool area, and then crossing over the Pennines and into the east and north-east England – Yorkshire, up to Northumberland before then clearing out into the North Sea.

“So it’s really quite quick.”

Leeds Festival campers warned to secure their tents as Storm Lilian sweeps in

08:08 , Salma Ouaguira

Forecasters are advising revellers at Leeds Festival to secure their tents and drivers to take care on the roads as Storm Lilian is set to surge through northern parts of Wales and England.

Gusts of up to 80mph are expected, with travel disruption, flooding, power cuts and dangerous conditions near coastal areas all likely.

The forecaster has issued two yellow weather warnings for rain in south-west Scotland and the Aberdeenshire coast from 9pm on Thursday to 9am on Friday.

There is the possibility of thunder, while 20-30mm of rainfall is expected widely across both areas – with a chance of 40-50mm over higher ground.

A yellow wind warning has also come into force covering northern England and north Wales until 11am on Friday, with the storm widely expected to bring gusts of 50-60mph in the region.

The official X account of the Met Office posted at 5am on Friday: “Winds are now strengthening in many areas with the strongest winds occurring during the next few hours across northern England and north Wales

“Damaging gusts are possible in places so ensure you stay #WeatherAware.”

Storm Lilian sweeps in heavy rain and strong winds ahead of bank holiday weekend

08:04 , Salma Ouaguira

A storm is set to smash parts of the country with heavy rain and strong winds as millions prepare getaways for the bank holiday weekend.

Storm Lilian, announced by the Met Office on Thursday, could bring gusts of up to 80mph – with travel disruption, flooding, power cuts and dangerous conditions near coastal areas all likely.

The forecaster has issued two new yellow weather warnings for rain in south-west Scotland and the Aberdeenshire coast from 9pm on Thursday to 9am Friday.

There is the possibility of thunder, while 20-30mm of rainfall is expected widely across both areas – with a chance of 40-50mm over higher ground.

A yellow wind warning has also been issued covering northern England and north Wales from 5am to 11am on Friday, with the storm widely expected to bring gusts of 50-60mph in the region.

Leeds Festival attendees experience ‘worst day ever’ amid storm winds

12:33 , Salma Ouaguira

An attendee of Leeds Festival said she was experiencing the “worst day ever” as her tent has been destroyed and her group have been asked to leave their area because the windy conditions are “really bad”.

Carrie Gill, 19, told the PA news agency that “basically our whole tent is gone” and she has spent £60 on a new tipi tent, which she has not been able to erect yet because of the weather.

The university student based in Durham said: “All the rain came in because the poles pulled so hard from the wind the fabric ripped open and leaked the whole tent with the rain. We even put those rock plastic pegs in the bottom and they have snapped.

“We aren’t allowed back into the area for hours, all our stuff is in our mates’ tent, phones on 30%. All the stores have blown over, the urinal walls are gone and lads are just pissing against fences, people’s tents are in the sky, the store shops are all over the floor and shirts and things from stores are gone. It’s honestly really bad here.”

She is waiting in a McDonald’s and will be waiting there “for a while it looks like,” adding that “it’s the worst day ever” and if her new tipi “doesn’t last”, she will be forced to return home.

“As you can imagine being a student, it’s quite an expensive festival to be going to and to be let down like this,” she added.