STRONG winds caused a tree to topple onto a major Bolton road.

The incident occurred at around 3pm today when a large tree collapsed onto the A666, St Peter’s Way, beneath the Kearsley roundabout.

Traffic on the road was reduced to one lane because of the incident, which was dealt with by police traffic officers and Bolton Council workers.

In a tweet, a GMP spokesman advised drivers to “avoid the area if possible” because of a “large tree”.

Strong winds and rain are expected to hit the North of England throughout the week as Storm Ali lands in the UK.

The storm will not settle over Bolton but is expected to cause winds of up to 80mph in some areas of the North West, alongside Northern Ireland, Scotland and Northern parts of Wales.

Laura Paterson, chief forecaster for the Met Office, has warned that the storm could be especially dangerous because most trees still have their leaves, meaning they are more likely to be blown over.

She said: “Storm Ali is expected to bring a spell of very strong winds to northern parts of the UK through Wednesday, particularly Northern Ireland, central and southern Scotland and the far northwest of England.

“As this is the first spell of very strong winds of the season and given that most trees are still in full leaf, we are likely to see some dangerous conditions with falling trees and flying branches and other debris likely.

“Strong winds will be accompanied by heavy, squally showers.”