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.
Organisers behind the annual festival announced a 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.
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.
Manchester Pride set to continue despite Storm Lilian disruptions
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.
Salma Ouaguira23 August 2024 13:35
Northern Powergrid confirms over 60,000 customers affected by power cuts
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.
Salma Ouaguira23 August 2024 13:30
Leeds festival hit by Storm Lilian chaos ahead of Liam Gallagher’s headline performance
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:
Salma Ouaguira23 August 2024 13:00
Severe delays hit London Overground and faulty train causes disruptions
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.
Salma Ouaguira23 August 2024 12:52
Storm Lilian branded ‘bonkers weather for August’
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.”
Salma Ouaguira23 August 2024 12:35
Leeds Festival campers ‘gripping onto their tents’
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.”
Salma Ouaguira23 August 2024 12:30
Bolton Food and Drink Festival battered by Storm Lilian
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.
Salma Ouaguira23 August 2024 12:20