A woman in her 50s is being treated for injuries after a slate blew off a roof in Preston city centre.
Emergency services were called to Fishergate shortly before 12.30pm on Sunday (19 March).
A section of the busy shopping street was closed off as Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service attended along with Preston Police.
Firefighters used an aerial platform to go up onto the roof and assess the wind damage.
A spokesman for the fire service said: “One aerial ladder platform and one fire engine were called to the shop roof after roof tiles had fallen on to the pavement.
“We used the aerial ladder to gain access to the roof of the four storey building and we removed several loose slates which could have caused a danger to the public.”
Gusts of up to 30mph have been whistling through Preston during Sunday.
Sandra Horan was on her way to the railway station when she saw what happened.
She said: “I noticed what I thought was a black piece of card blown down from the Vodafone shop.
“I then realised it was a slate coming off the roof and around six people were underneath it.
“My husband and I screamed out and the slate came down and caught a lady just above her left ankle.
“I still can’t believe she walked away relatively unscathed.
“I told her she needs to go and buy a lottery ticket because she, and the others, were so lucky.”
The incident happened near the Vodafone and Yorkshire Bank buildings. Fishergate has now been reopened.