North East weather: Hour-by-hour forecast for Thursday…

North East weather: Hour-by-hour forecast for Thursday night into Friday as snow falls in the region

The freezing December weather saw parts of the North East treated to some snow showers today, with Newcastle city centre among the areas of the region that briefly became a winter wonderland with less than three weeks to go until Christmas.

But those who were hoping for a snow -covered weekend may be disappointed, as the flurries we've seen in the region this afternoon are not set to last. According to the Met Office, the North East will see the wintry showers clear by this evening with clear skies developing overnight.

While you won't be waking up to a blanket of white snow on Friday, the clear skies and plunging temperatures of down to -4°C do mean that there will be widespread frost in the region, as well as a risk of icy surfaces - a Met Office yellow warning remains in place for ice across the North East from 4pm on Thursday until midday on Friday. It will be a largely dry night for most, with chances of some wintry showers on the coast.

Looking ahead to Friday, although the region is set for a chilly start with sharp frost it will be mostly dry with sunny spells forecast across the North East. Make sure you wrap up warm if you're getting out and about, as the cold spell will last into the weekend with maximum temperatures only reaching a maximum of 2°C on Friday - although it will feel more like sub-zero.

Hour by hour forecast for Thursday night in Newcastle:

5pm: Sleet, 1°C (Feels like -2°C), Chance of precipitation: 60%

6pm: Sleet, 1°C (Feels like -2°C), Chance of precipitation: 60%

7pm: Overcast, 2°C (Feels like -1°C), Chance of precipitation: 20%

8pm: Clear, 1°C (Feels like -2°C), Chance of precipitation: 10%

9pm: Clear, 1°C (Feels like -3°C), Chance of precipitation: <5%

10pm: Clear, 0°C (Feels like -4°C), Chance of precipitation: <5%

11pm: Clear, 0°C (Feels like -5°C), Chance of precipitation: <5%