STRONG winds battered Bolton and large parts of the country on Friday- with multiple trees in the area falling victim to the fierce gales.

People have taken to social media to share photos of trees that have fell in the face of mighty gusts which saw disruption to travel routes.

Trees across Bolton fell on everything from cars to sheds and roads, leaving many people feeling lucky there was no serious damage.

Tree surgeons across the town were extremely busy as roads were blocked- including in Hacken Lane in Darcy Lever and Chapeltown Road in Bromley Cross.

Elsewhere in the North West, motorway police received reports of a tent and other debris which had blown onto the M56, "due to the increased wind speeds."

Northern Rail also saw delays, with trees blocking lines between Southport and Wigan Wallgate.

The weekend's gales and lower temperatures left beaches and open spaces empty for most of the day.

The usually popular Blackpool hit a maximum temperature of 15C (59F)- though had some strong gales of up to 46mph.

The Met Office has said that the weather will be "staying on the breezy side" throughout today, with a maximum temperature 16 °C.

The rain is set to ease throughout the afternoon with some sunny spells breaking through.

Take a look through our gallery above to see some of the devastation left behind by the weekend wind.

For further information on the weather, visit metoffice.gov.uk.