But before we start feeling too sorry for ourselves, this archive picture gallery shows that the borough has been lashed by bad weather plenty of times before. Here are pictures of Wiganers, including sports stars, braving the elements over the decades.
5. Workers wait in the rain for the visit to Heinz Kitt Green by Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh
. Photo: Ian Robinson
6. Rain stopped play at Wigan Cricket Club, Bull Hey, with the teams racing for cover
. Photo: John Leatherbarrow
7. Wigan Town Brownies take cover at the 1985 Highfield summer carnival
. Photo: SUBMITTED
8. Dashing for cover at Martland Mill during a storm in 2010
. Photo: Nick Fairhurst