The spectacular moment fireworks lit up the sky over Greater Manchester to celebrate arrival of 2021

direct to your inboxPolice have declared a major incident due to concerns about the impact of Storm Christoph.An amber weather warning for rain has been issued as torrential downpours are set to hit the region.It's in force until Thursday lunchtime, with forecasters warning of potential flooding.A top police chief urged people to leave their home if they need to despite the stay at home message.Residents are being urged to follow their local authority's advice about evacuations.Assistant Chief

direct to your inbox A road is closed in Oldham due to a serious crash between a car and a motorbike.

direct to your inboxA flood 'alert' has been put in force in Greater Manchester today after hours of heavy rainfall overnight.The alert warns of 'possible' flooding around the area of the middle River Mersey catchment area.It includes areas near Bramhall in Stockport, Sale, Altrincham and Urmston.The Environment Agency warned: "Flooding is possible - be prepared."And Transport for Greater Manchester said: "With heavy rain in Greater Manchester this morning, expect flooding in some areas.

direct to your inboxA top cop at Greater Manchester Police says officers are 'really fed up' of having to deal with the same people who won't obey coronavirus laws. Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey has been leading GMP 's response to lockdown rules since the pandemic began.

direct to your inbox2021 is set to be another busy year for the Crown Court.Manchester's courts will continue to host murder trials even during the pandemic.Special precautions are being taken to ensure cases progress safely.And a number of murder trials are scheduled to be heard in the coming months at Manchester Crown Court.Here are some of the cases set to take place in the next 12 months.Seven men accused of murdering a man from Moss Side are set to go on trial.Miguel 'Migz' Reynolds, 21,

direct to your inboxThousands more people in Greater Manchester have received coronavirus vaccines as the regional programme continues to take shape. A total of 78 vaccination centres will open across the region next week - including a mass vaccination hub at the Etihad Tennis Centre in Manchester.

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester Police responded to 1,500 reports of ‘stupid and selfish’ people breaking Covid-19 laws over the New Year period.More than 1,000 callouts involved officers breaking up house parties held inside residential homes, properties rented for the night and short-term lets.‘Hundreds’ of fines have been handed out to those attending illegal gatherings in the past week, including people who went to a rave on an industrial estate.Rising infection rates are also

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester's hospitals are at risk of 'falling over' in the next three weeks due to an 'unprecedented' surge in Covid cases, the region's health chief has warned - meaning cancer operations are very likely to be cancelled.Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, painted a bleak picture of the next few weeks in our hospital system, pointing to a 'phenomenal' increase in admissions as medics brace for the third

direct to your inboxA Greater Manchester Police officer who repeatedly sexually assaulted a young girl has been jailed.Farooq Ahmed, 37, walked into a police station with a confession note before Christmas.

Follow our dedicated live blog here The ones that are closed are providing places for key worker and vulnerable children, as they did during the first lockdown. If your child's school has closed, get in touch with us on our Manchester Family Facebook page here, let us know in the comments here, or email [email protected]. These are the schools that have closed by boroughMount Carmel RC, BlakleyOswald Road Primary, ChorltonSt Peter's Catholic Primary, WythenshaweBirchfields Primary,

Follow our dedicated live blog hereThe ones that are closed are providing places for key worker and vulnerable children, as they did during the first lockdown.And some that were due to reopen later this week are warning parents they'll be staying closed.If your child's school has closed, get in touch with us on our Manchester Family Facebook page here, let us know in the comments here, or email [email protected] are the schools that have closed by boroughMount Carmel RC, BlakleyOswald

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester's coronavirus infection rate is continuing to climb as the region begins 2021 in Tier 4. As we entered our second day under the country's tightest coronavirus restrictions, concern is growing nationally about the highly transmissible new strain of the virus.

direct to your inboxIt has been a year like no other.However Great Mancunians have still made headlines across the world, for all sorts of reasons.Here we look at those who have put the region on the map in 2020, a year we will never forget.2020 has undoubtedly belonged to Manchester United and England star Marcus Rashford.However it is his incredible work off the pitch which has made the headlines, even more than his impressive goal-scoring feats on it.The Withington-born and Wythenshawe raised

direct to your inboxIt's going to be a very, very different New Year's Eve across Greater Manchester.This has been a year like no other in living memory... 2020 can't end soon enough for many.But with the region's pubs, clubs and bars shut - and a stay at home order now in effect after Greater Manchester entered Tier 4 coronavirus restrictions - there will be no big parties.As the clocks strike midnight, the celebrations will be muted.Manchester city centre will be all but deserted.

direct to your inbox"It's absolutely gut-wrenching."Hair salon owner Jane Nixon describes how she felt as Matt Hancock announced that Greater Manchester would be moving into Tier 4.And it's a feeling thousands of business owners across the region will be familiar with.A change in restrictions, businesses finally being allowed to open then being forced to shut again just a few weeks later.

direct to your inboxDoctors and paramedics say they are bracing themselves for a new tide of Covid patients to hit Greater Manchester's hospitals within weeks. Speaking as plans for the region's move to Tier 4 were announced and the return to school for secondary pupils was delayed, Dr Carole Gavin, a consultant in Greater Manchester, said concerns were growing as hospitals in the south battle to find beds as infection rates - largely found to be caused by the new mutant strain - rise.

direct to your inboxA Greater Manchester Police chief has urged people to stay at home in Tier 4 tomorrow night instead of celebrating New Year's Eve as they normally would. Under Tier 4 coronavirus restrictions, people are required by law to remain at home unless they need to leave their home for essential reasons.

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Greater Manchester certainly has a lot to look forward to. Despite a challenging 12 months, the region already has a long list of new developments coming up in the next year and through to 2023.