Midlands battered by storms as panels loosen from factory roof
The torrential rain and strong winds that hit the West Midlands look set to ease as the weather improves throughout the weekend.
Heavy rainfall hit the Black Country and Staffordshire today with forecasters expecting it to continue tomorrow morning as Storm Callum made an appearance.
The rain is expected to ease through today, with forecasters predicting a much drier and brighter day – but still staying fairly windy.
The Met Office had put in a place a yellow warning for wind in the West Midlands on Friday. Drivers were warned to prepare for the risk of flash flooding, while emergency services crews were called in to secure loose roof panels in Wolverhampton.
West Midlands Fire Service urged people to avoid Lower Walsall Street on Friday, while their crews worked to make the building safe. A hydraulic platform was brought in to assist the crews in removing the insecure roof panels, who were working at approximately 30 foot in the blustery conditions.
Staffordshire Police also urged drivers to take care during the high winds – by asking drivers to keep both hands on the wheel, taking care around cyclists, motorcyclists and horse-riders, and keeping a distance from other vehicles.
Elsewhere, Stafford's Farmers Market was cancelled on Friday due to the high winds, and Dudley Zoo chose to keep some animals indoors for the day – as well as closing the chair lift and the castle.
The wet and windy weather brought an abrupt end to a mini-Indian summer the region experienced earlier this week, when balmy October temperatures rose above 20C.
The Met Office's amber and yellow warning rain for tomorrow had taken in part of Wales, but as of last night had not extended to the West Midlands.
WATCH the forecast here:
Met Office forecaster, Simon Partridge said: "It will be a pretty wet start to Saturday morning, where there will be rain across most of the West Midlands, with some heavy bursts. It will still be quite breezy but not as windy as Friday.
"The good news is that things will improve through the middle of the day where it will be drier and brighter but still staying fairly windy. It will be fairly warm with temperatures around 19/20C in the West Midlands on Saturday – which is pretty warm when on average for this time of year it is around 14C.
"Overnight into Sunday a band of rain will sweep across the West Midlands, but will be all cleared by the early hours and the winds will ease.
"By Sunday morning it will be a much drier and brighter day and it will get better as the day goes on. Temperatures will be back down to the average for this time of the month."
