The region was battered by the strong winds of Storm Otto from the early hours. The Met Office has issued a yellow warming with up to 75mph gales across the North East.
The railways were severely disrupted across the region with many services delayed or cancelled. Roads were blocked and people are being warned that injuries and a danger to life from flying debris is possible.
However, despite forecasts indicating that the winds will ease off as the day goes on, it’s not all good news for the weekend. The Met Office forecast is predicting that this weekend is going to be a wet one.
