Oldham has been put under a rain weather warning later this week as Storm Babet is set to bring heavy rain.

According to the Met Office, the whole of Oldham is now included in the yellow warning area.

Originally, the warning had only stretched as far west as Saddleworth – but now includes all of Oldham, as well as much of Manchester, Salford, Trafford, Rochdale, and Tameside.

The warning now spans from 6pm on Thursday to 6am on Saturday, after previously being predicted to run from Wednesday evening.

Wind gusts of up to 36mph have been forecast during the warning period.

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The Met Office warns that the storm could bring 'fast flowing or deep floodwater', with a potential risk to life.

The weather agency has also warned of a chance of road closures, public transport cancellations, and power cuts.

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In parts of Scotland, a rare 'red' warning has been issued - meaning that 'exceptional rainfall' is 'expected to cause severe flooding and disruption'.

The Oldham Times: The yellow warning has been extendedThe yellow warning has been extended (Image: Met Office/OpenStreetMap)

Met Office Chief Meteorologist Jason Kelly said: “Confidence has increased in the chances of considerable impacts from rainfall in parts of the east of Scotland from Storm Babet, which has resulted in the escalation to the Red warning. 

“100-150mm of rain is expected to fall quite widely within the warning period, with some locations likely to see 200-250mm, which is expected to cause considerable impacts with flooding likely.

“Storm Babet will track gradually northwards in the coming days, and although the most significant impacts are expected within the Red and Amber warning areas, there will still be wider impacts for much of the UK from this wind and rain.”