STRONG winds caused the closure of a city centre road and blew a lorry trailer on to its side in Bradford today.

A 12-metre piece of cladding was ripped off by gusts at 1 The Interchange and left hanging from the roof, said a fire service spokesman.

As a result, Nelson Street was closed between its junctions with Croft Street and Hall Ings. The rear entrance of Bradford Interchange station was also closed off to buses and pedestrian, while firefighters dealt with the incident.

Fire crews from Cleckheaton were called to the scene at about 10.30am and worked alongside the building's owners to make the scene safe.

The lorry trailer was parked near Queensbury Golf Club when it was toppled over and on to a wall at about 1pm.

The gales have been stirred up by an extra-powerful jet stream triggered by plunging temperatures in the United States hitting warmer air in the south.

The Met Office said that the strongest wind in England recorded today was at High Bradfield, in South Yorkshire, which saw a gust of 76mph at 1am.

It is set to remain windy over the weekend as another low pressure system effects northern parts of the country.