Going, going, gone (from view): Moment historic Fiddlers Ferry cooling towers are demolished (but people ‘miss it’ because of the low fog)
Published: 12:45, 3 December 2023 | Updated: 12:51, 3 December 2023
This is the dramatic moment the historic cooling towers at Fiddlers Ferry in Merseyside were demolished... though you might've missed it.
The big event drew in over 1,500 viewers this morning on an official Facebook[2] livestream[3] for the event. But many were left disappointed after heavy fog on the ground obstructed the view[4].
Images from the anticlimactic demolition also show people gathered in the fields surrounding the plot. Though they too had no clear view of the collapse.
Despite temperatures in the area reaching as low as 1 degree Celsius this morning, many flocked to the site to witness the demolition.
Locals showed their tenacity to view it live; despite no set time being given, with a window of between 8am and 12pm provided as an estimate.
The livestream showed that revelers would've stood for an hour and a half, as the collapse finally took place at around 9.35am.
This is the dramatic moment the historic cooling towers at Fiddlers Ferry in Merseyside were demolished... though you might've missed it
Hundreds of cars leave the area surrounding Fiddlers Ferry after a failed demolition show
Images from the anticlimactic demolition also show people gathered in the fields surrounding the plot. Though they too had no clear view of the collapse
Though little can be seen, footage shows a loud bang at the moment the four towers collapsed.
Dust from the explosion can be seen filling the already obstructed skies.
Disappointment was clear, as one viewer tuning in from home simply wrote: 'Glad I stayed indoors.'
Found between Widnes and Warrington on the River Mersey, the power station was decommissioned in March 2020 after nearly half a century of use.
The demolition of the cooling towers was scheduled for today.
At its peak, the coal-fired power station was capable of producing enough electricity to power around two million homes.
Its eight 114-metre cooling towers and a 200m metre chimney made it a landmark, visible from the Pennines.
An attempt was made to make the cooling towers listed buildings, as examples of Britain's industrial heritage. The application was rejected by Historic England.
The site - which is owned by Peel NRE - has been identified in the draft Warrington Local Plan for the development of around 250-acres of employment use.
The Met Office today issued two new weather warnings as the UK is bracing for more freezing conditions after temperatures last night dropped as low as -12C.
Britain continues to be in the grip of cold air sweeping across from the north, bringing with it freezing temperatures, heavy snowfall, widespread frosts and freezing fog.
Disappointment was clear, as one viewer tuning in from home simply wrote: 'Glad I stayed indoors'
Though little can be seen, footage shows a loud bang at the moment the four towers collapsed.
Dust from the explosion can be seen filling the already obstructed skies
The Met Office today issued two new weather warnings as the UK is bracing for more freezing conditions after temperatures last night dropped as low as -12C
Found between Widnes and Warrington on the River Mersey, the power station was decommissioned in March 2020 after nearly half a century of use
A rare amber warning for 10-15cm of snow was in place in Cumbria on Saturday, with temperatures as low as -12C forecast overnight, while today parts of Wales, the Peak District and South Pennines are likely to see between 5-10cm of snow.
Cumbria Police has urged people not to travel to the county today after it declared a major incident because of heavy snowfall on the county's roads, which last night forced hundreds of people travelling along the M6 to abandon their vehicles.
Over 2,500 people are also without electricity in the county after the heavy snow wreaked havoc on transmission lines causing power cuts.
Electricity North West estimated that power will be restored as late as 10pm on Sunday, in most cases.
A yellow weather warning for ice in the East Midlands, the West Midlands, the north of England, and much of north and central Wales was issued from 5pm on Sunday to 12pm on Monday, which could also lead to difficult travel conditions.
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