Threat to life warning in Didsbury and Northenden amid flooding - all the affected Manchester postcodes

direct to your inboxThousands of people in Manchester are to be offered immediate Covid-19 tests after a new variant of the virus was identified in the area. Manchester City Council will be inviting everyone living or working within a specific footprint for tests from tomorrow after four cases of a new strain were identified in two households on Moss Side.

straight to your inbox every day for freeWhile government officials may be expected to have pictures of political leaders or inspirational artwork in their place of work, Ardalan Shekarabi’s office in Stockholm is a little different. On the wall above the Sweden’s Minister for Social Security’s desk hangs a Manchester United shirt.

hereThere is less chance of heavy snow in Manchester, Stockport, Wigan, Salford, Bury, Bolton and Trafford.But the forecast is still for sleet and light snow in places over the next 48 hours, with freezing temperatures.

Pro Pest Manchester, says the issue is down to restaurants and pubs closing due to the lockdown, which has meant the pests have to look elsewhere for food.

straight to your inbox every day for free Amad Diallo is set to make his second Manchester United appearance when the Under-23s face Blackburn on Friday night.

straight to your inboxTwo former Manchester City players have named the team that is the biggest threat to their old club winning the Premier League this season.City returned to the top of the league table thanks to a 5-0 win over West Brom ion Tuesday night, with four of the goals coming in the first half.The result means City are one point ahead of local rivals Man United at the halfway stage of the season, while last season’s champions Liverpool are seven points adrift in fifth place.Former

straight to your inbox every day for freeThe games are still coming thick and fast and Manchester United are back in action on Wednesday as Sheffield United visit Old Trafford.United go into the game full of confidence after beating Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday and having not lost in the Premier League in 13 matches.The players were back in training at the start of the week ahead of the Blades' visit.

straight to your inboxWhether or not Manchester City sign Lionel Messi this summer, they can reflect on a much more professional approach than they managed when they bid for him in the frantic hours after they were taken over in 2008.As manager at the time Mark Hughes tells it, while he and his staff were on the golf course so frenzied were the bids for a marquee signing that when one club director remarked to a colleague about how messy the situation was it was misinterpreted as an instruction

direct to your inboxThe Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital is to open emergency Covid beds for adults in a sign of the unprecedented pressure facing Greater Manchester’s hospitals.Sir Richard Leese, the region’s health chief, said the situation in the system was now ‘critical’ as NHS bosses have scrambled to discharge as many people as possible ahead of a sustained peak over the coming three weeks.Crisis meetings have been held to determine the ability to scale up beds, as Salford Royal and

direct to your inboxThe NHS has sadly confirmed the deaths of 29 more patients in hospitals in Greater Manchester who had tested positive for Covid-19.The region's hospital death toll now stands at 4,757.NHS bosses said on Friday a further 993 people who tested positive for the virus have died in hospitals across England.It brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 65,104.In the north west, a further 94 hospital deaths were reported, the NHS said on Friday.A

direct to your inboxThe Environment Agency waited 20 hours too long to raise the flood threat level in Didsbury, it has been claimed, leading to evacuations taking place in darkness and wintry conditions.An earlier raising of the level to 'severe' would likely have led to the earlier evacuation of parts of south Manchester on the brink of flooding.

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester is forecasting 200 Covid patients in critical care by next week as the system gears up for an exhausting, drawn-out third wave peak.That projection is 25pc higher than the worst part of November's second wave, according to M.E.N.

direct to your inbox‘If the water rises another metre, we could be in big trouble.’Some residents in South Manchester say they are 'preparing for evacuation' as the River Mersey reaches the highest levels ever recorded on the waterway and roads become flooded.'Flooding to properties is expected', according to the Environment Agency.Greater Manchester Police declared a major incident on Tuesday evening and the Met Office warns of a 'danger to life' due to fast flowing or deep floodwater.

direct to your inboxStorm Christoph is set to continue to bring heavy rain across the region.The Met Office has issued a number of weather warnings across the UK, with an amber warning in place for rain in Greater Manchester.The warning remains in place until midday tomorrow (Thursday) and the forecast is said to likely lead to flooding.Flood warnings are in place for the River Mersey at Cheadle Wood and Ford lane, River Roch in Rochdale and at Littleborough.

straight to your inbox every day for freeGraeme Souness claims Liverpool will be nervous heading into this weekend's crunch clash with Manchester United.United knocked Jurgen Klopp's men off the top of the Premier League table on Tuesday night after they beat Burnley 1-0 at Turf Moor. That result took Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 's side three points clear of the reigning champions with 17 matches played.

direct to your inboxParts of Greater Manchester could be hit by flooding as torrential downpours are set to hit the region.It comes as the Met Office issued an amber weather warning for rain from 6am on Tuesday to 23.59pm on Wednesday.Heavy rainfall combined with some snow melting across the hills is likely to lead to flooding in some areas, the forecaster said.The Met Office said people can expect homes and businesses to be flooded, causing damage to some buildings.Fast flowing or deep