ON Saturday, July 18, 1964, a storm, said to be the most intense ever recorded in Bolton hit the area.
Between 10.15am and 11am, 2.8 inches of rain fell, almost as much as the average for the month.
The storm was so severe that no one could man the recording apparatus, and hailstones bombarded the machine at such speed that they rebounded, giving a reading much lower than was probably the case.
The heavy rain had begun on the Friday, and the rainfall for the two days was 4.7 inches, a record for any two days in Bolton. The average rainfall at that time of year for a whole month was only three inches.
The storm resulted in hundreds of homes, offices and factories being flooded, electricity supplies being hard hit, and it took weeks for things to get back to normal.
The picture shows residents of Old Road, Astley Bridge, examining a 15ft wide crater which appeared on spare ground after the storm.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article