It’s Grim Up North

Students blown off bikes, injured pedestrians, cancelled puppy visits and more as Leeds gets battered by 80mph winds


Leeds has been struck by 80mph gales today, in what was the windiest day of the year.

Umbrellas were flying, students were seen falling off bikes and lectures were disrupted in the storm chaos.

Not fans of the wind … Pedestrians in the city centre

Not even students inside on campus could escape the storm.

Chris, a third year English student told The Tab: “I could barely hear my lecturer in Roger Stephens because of the wind.”

Hyde Park looked even more grim than usual, where pretty much everyone’s bin was knocked over.

Rubbish bins toppled over in Hyde Park

In the city centre, the junction around Bridgewater Place was closed as a precaution due to the death of Edward Slaney in 2011 – who was crushed when a lorry was blown over in high winds.

Despite the closure, two pedestrians were injured close to the junction.

Two people were injured in today’s storm

The Met Office issued an ‘amber warning’, which was in place until 4pm today.

The poor Union bunting couldn’t stand up to the wind

Ian Bitcon, area manager for fire safety, said: “We are receiving a lot of weather-related calls this morning and urge people to take precautions during today whilst winds are high.”

He added: “Please only make journeys where absolutely necessary and ensure your property, including wheelie bins and outdoor structures, are secure.”

“Look after neighbours and the elderly to help keep everyone in the community safe.”

A crumpled bin in Hyde Park

Down the road, excited students at Leeds Met were expecting puppies to come to their uni today.

So imagine their disappointment when the puppy visit was cancelled due to the weather.

But some students had it worse than others: