A yellow weather warning for strong winds has been issued for Merseyside, leading to the cancellation of several events and the closure of venues. The Met Office warning is in place from 10am today (October 23) until 9pm this evening, as Storm Austen and Storm Boelo are set to hit the UK.
Met Office Warning Details
The Met Office website states: "Whilst the winds across the warning area are not expected to be as strong as those further south and west, a spell of inland gales is possible with gusts around 45 to 55mph during Friday daytime. In combination with locally heavy rain and many trees still in full leaf, there is potential for some power outages and travel disruption."
Liverpool and Merseyside are within the warning area, with the strongest winds expected during the day on Friday.
Spooky Welly Walk Cancelled
The Spooky Welly Walk, a Halloween event scheduled for Friday, October 24 at Sefton Park, has been cancelled. The event has brought families together for 15 years, raising money to support people affected by lung cancer. Last year's event raised £83,000.
Paula Chadwick, chief executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said: "We know how much families look forward to Spooky Welly Walk, and we're so sorry to disappoint everyone who planned to join us. Our team and volunteers have spent months preparing, but the safety of everyone attending must come first."
Chadwick added: "We're incredibly grateful to everyone who bought tickets, asked friends and family to sponsor them, or offered their time to help. That kindness is what makes this event so special. Last year, Spooky Welly Walk raised £83,000 to help fund our work. Losing this year's event is a significant blow, but the need for our support continues. People are still receiving a lung cancer diagnosis and turning to us for information, reassurance, and someone to talk to."
All ticket holders are being contacted directly, and the foundation is accepting donations to support its work.
Garston Market and Speke Hall
Garston Market, scheduled for Friday, October 23, has been cancelled by Liverpool City Council due to forecasted strong winds. The council said the market will return as usual next week. Great Homer Street Market remains scheduled to take place from 7am until 3pm tomorrow (October 24).
Speke Hall, a National Trust site, will remain closed today through to Sunday, October 25. In a statement shared on Instagram yesterday (October 22), the trust said: "Forecast wind gusts have exceeded the thresholds set out in our High Winds Policy. Speke Hall and its grounds will therefore be closed this weekend to ensure the safety of our visitors, volunteers and staff. We expect to reopen on Monday 26 October, following post-storm safety inspections. Keep an eye on the website and social media pages for updates."
