A woman had to be treated for shock after high winds caused a 50ft tree to fall on a Salford block of flats.
The block, at Irlam Square in Irlams o’th Height, was evacuated in a joint operation between Salford City Council and firefighters.
Greater Manchester Fire took 126 calls from 12pm to 3pm on Sunday as the region was battered by strong and gusty winds.
Crews responded to a range of incidents including fallen trees, damaged buildings, dislodged chimney stacks and road blockages.
A wall fell onto a car near a nursing home on Worsley Road in Swinton. Fire crews made the scene safe and no-one was reported injured.
A garage and cars were also damaged after large tree fell on Broom Lane, Salford.
Ford Lane in Pendleton was closed after the roof of the former Mainline Taxi building blew off into the road. Fire crews worked to remove the rest of the roof and to make the scene safe.
The weather made for difficult conditions for drivers, with speed restrictions put in place at the high level motorway bridge at Barton.
David Acton, chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “The stormy weather has stretched the fire service to the limit and we have been dealing with the various incidents as quickly as we can. Our firefighters and support staff have done an excellent job in extremely difficult conditions.
“The storms have highlighted how we need to maintain our resilience and any further decrease in the numbers of firefighters would have a serious impact on the safety of the people of Greater Manchester.
“I would like to reassure the public that despite the severe pressure on our services currently, we will respond to calls as quickly as we can. If you do not require assistance immediately, please be patient as we prioritise emergency calls.”
Main image: A tree falls on Bury New Road – by Carl Thompson
