Manchester Village Pride was temporarily halted this evening as thunderstorms passed over Greater Manchester, with attendees told to take shelter.
Just after 6pm, thunder and torrential rain hit the city centre, forcing people to take cover in bars in the Gay Village. Organisers confirmed to the Manchester Evening News that both the Sackville Gardens and Main Stage acts have been paused while they wait for the weather to clear.
Safety policy and shelter advice
A spokesperson for Manchester Village Pride said: "Our policy is that we will not restart the show until 30 minutes after the last lightning strike."
People were seen running into bars and venues along Canal Street and The Gay Village, while others undeterred decided to dance in the rain and splash in puddles before the weather intensified. Organisers assured the M.E.N. that all necessary precautions are being taken and that they monitor weather such as thunder and lightning from 20 miles out and are overly cautious to keep attendees safe.
Weather warnings in place
The message from Manchester Village Pride was one of caution and to take shelter away from the stage areas while the weather passes over. Earlier today, the Met Office issued two separate yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms coming into effect at 11am today, which together cover almost the whole of the UK.
The first warning, which covers Greater Manchester and the rest of north west England, will remain in place all day until it is lifted at 11.59pm. Advice from the Met Office warns that various impacts could be seen during the thunderstorm warning, including driving conditions being affected, possible delays to train services, probably some damage to a few buildings and structures from lightning strikes, some short-term loss of power, and some flooding.
