Greater Manchester is set to experience gale force winds and heavy downpours today as a result of Hurricane Ian.
The fallout from the hurricane, which is currently wreaking havoc on Florida’s southwest coast, will be felt across the region today and tomorrow as it brings an ‘area of low pressure’ across the UK.
According to the Met Office, this morning will be mostly dry with the heavy rain and wind set to hit from around lunchtime.
The heavy rainfall is then forecast until at least 7pm this evening.
Forecasters expect this evening to be marginally drier, though more showers are set to fall in the early hours of Saturday and into the late morning.
The Met Office says this rain should have cleared by Saturday afternoon, with the weather staying mostly dry into Sunday (October 2nd).
Other parts of the UK will also experience the affects of Hurricane Ian, with strong winds and heavy rain on the forecast.
Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office Chris Almond said: “This will bring a much wetter and windier spell than weâve seen so far this autumn, but nothing that is unusual for the time of year.
“The fast-moving system will bring strong gale force winds, locally in excess of 60mph, and heavy rain into the northwest before pushing quickly southeast through the day.
“We could see some minor impacts such as surface water flooding or minor wind damage, as well as some short-lived impacts on ferry crossings, especially in exposed areas of western Scotland and eastern areas of Northern Ireland.
“Later in the day, parts of southeast England could experience winds of around 55mph, which may impact the English Channel too.”
At least ten people have died in what has been called Florida’s ‘deadliest hurricane in history’. Hurricane Ian is now moving inland and heading towards North and South Carolina.
They may have passed their tests a while ago, but some drivers are only just realising they have been using roundabouts wrong.
When it comes to roundabouts, most drivers will probably feel very confident they know what they are doing and think they how to use them correctly.
So, you know to give way to the right, but which way should you be indicating and which lane should you select for the turn-off you want?
We all remember being a nervous learner driver and the sheer panic that would overcome you when approaching a roundabout.
But after plenty of practice they soon become a doddle â until youâve been driving while and have picked up some bad habits.
Roundabouts are some of the most common places where you hear angry drivers beeping their horns because someone has pulled out or driven into the wrong lane, and all sorts of silly reasons.
Many motorists will already know that if youâre taking the first exit off the roundabout, you select the left-hand lane and use your indicator to signal left â unless some signs or markings indicate otherwise â as per the Highway Code.
And when youâre turning right, you should select the right-hand lane with your indicator signalling right â and keep to the right before you need to change lanes.
However, if youâre driving straight over the roundabout, this is where many drivers get a little confused and make common mistakes.
According to the Highway Code, if your âintermediate exitâ is positioned at 12 âoâ clock, you need to be in the left-hand lane â not the right-hand lane as many drivers seem to think.
It sates that you should âselect the appropriate lane on approach to the roundabout, you should not normally need to signal on approach, you should stay in this lane until you need to alter course to exit the roundabout, and you should signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you wantâ.
It says that when there are more than three lanes at the entrance to a roundabout, you should use the most appropriate lane on approach and while youâre driving through it â which basically means you should use your common sense based on the rules of the roundabout.
The Highway Code also says: “When reaching the roundabout you should give priority to traffic approaching from your right, unless directed otherwise by signs, road markings or traffic lights, check whether road markings allow you to enter the roundabout without giving way.Â
âIf so, proceed, but still look to the right before joining, watch out for all other road users already on the roundabout; be aware they may not be signalling correctly or at all and look forward before moving off to make sure traffic in front has moved off.â
And when it comes to looking out for cyclists, it adds: “You should give priority to cyclists on the roundabout. They will be travelling more slowly than motorised traffic. Give them plenty of room and do not attempt to overtake them within their lane. Allow them to move across your path as they travel around the roundabout.”
A surprising number of Americans believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows, a survey has revealed.
Around 7% of US adults think the sweet flavoured milk is brown due to the colour of cow it comes from, a survey commissioned by the Innovation Centre of US Dairyside has revealed.
The research was conducted on 1,000 people over the age of 18.
That 7% equates to around 16.4 million Americans â which doesnât seem such a small number when you put it like that.
Thatâs the equivalent of the population of Pennsylvania who are misinformed chocolate milk drinkers, and do not know that the basic ingredients of chocolate milk consist of milk, cocoa and sugar.
While 7% thought chocolate milk came from brown cows, around 48% of Americans said they didn’t know where chocolate milk came from â we’re not sure which is worse.
Speaking to The Washington Post, Cecily Upton, co-founder of the nonprofit FoodCorps, which brings agricultural and nutrition education into elementary schools, said: âAt the end of the day, itâs an exposure issue.
âRight now, weâre conditioned to think that if you need food, you go to the store.Â
âNothing in our educational framework teaches kids where food comes from before that point.â
Thankfully, the survey isnât verified and hasnât been released either, so perhaps the state of the agricultural knowledge of Americans isnât as bad as it seems.
A previous study â conducted in the 1990s â also showed that one in five adults did not know that hamburgers are made of beef, and many lacked knowledge of basic farming facts.
But it seems many children and adults donât seem too interested in trying to find things out for themselves either.
Upton added: âWe still get kids who are surprised that a French fry comes from a potato, or that a pickle is a cucumber.
âKnowledge is power. Without it, we canât make informed decisions.â
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Viral trainspotting enthusiast Francis Bourgeois was spotted driving a tram, before attending the Niall Horan gig at the AO Arena last week.
The social media sensation was seen on the Metrolink stand of Victoria station, in Manchester, on Thursday (March 7th) as fans captured sneaky shots of him.
After a day out exploring Manchester and driving trams at the depot with Transport for Greater Manchester, Bourgeois was later seen pulling into Victoria Station on a Bee Network tram for the sold out concert at the AO Arena.Â
The geeky, fun-loving trainspotter has taken to his instagram to tell fellow enthusiasts what he got up to across the Bee Network.
Alongside a video of the fun day out he had in the city, he posted: âMy first time ever driving a tram and having a cab ride to Victoria Station, home of the AO Arena!Â
âThank you so much @aoarena and Manchester Metrolink for making this possible!â
In the video, Bourgeois is seen donning a tram driverâs uniform and high-vis vest before he pulls a point using all his strength.
With the points in place, and wearing a small video camera on his head, he then took to the driving seat in the tram and made his way along the tracks, pulling into Victoria station.
The social media star can then be seen laughing excitedly as he says he âreally could not believe what I was doingâ, and adds: âOh, wow!â as another tram beeps and waves at him.
After he âwiggledâ his way into the station, the Bourgeois made his way to the AO Arena where he got to enjoy the much anticipated show.
TFGM and the AO Arena have partnered to highlight their commitment to bringing accessible entertainment to the people of Manchester.
Their location within Victoria Station means visitors from Manchester and further afield can easily get to the city to see their favourite performers without having to worry about how they are going to get home, or finding affordable and nearby parking.
 The AO Arena is passionate about its home in the city of Manchester and is constantly finding ways to improve, most recently with the opening of new spaces including their brand new luxury restaurant The Mezz. They have also undertaken a back of house refurbishment ensuring guests feel comfortable in Manchester as a home away from home.Â