Weather warnings are in place in the North East for three days with wind speeds of more than 80 mph forecast in the region.
There are yellow and amber warnings for Storm Dudley On Wednesday and through to Thursday covering Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham.
On Friday another yellow warning - for Storm Eunice - is in place across the region until the late evening.
Exposed high altitude areas - like the Cheviots in Northumberland - can expect gust speeds of more than 80mph due to Storm Dudley on Wednesday. The wind speeds will not be as severe lower down in Newcastle or Sunderland, but both cities can expect gusts of more than 50mph today and over 40mph on Thursday morning.
Read more: Storm Dudley updates - Live
Wednesday has been a blustery morning, but the worst of Storm Dudley's wind is forecast from 3pm, and then from 6pm. Heavy rain is likely from 11am on Wednesday and through until the evening.
The Met Office says to expect disruption to transport networks, to beware of damage to buildings, and to prepare for potential power cuts.
Northern Powergrid says its team is ready to respond to any power outages in its network, which covers the North East.
Paul Glendinning, Director of Policy and Markets, said: "We are closely tracking the weather and have ensured that our resources are in place to respond if the forecasted back-to-back storms impact our network. Our network control engineers have capability to restore power supplies remotely, switching electricity through alternative routes on our network wherever possible to get customers back on supply. In parallel our frontline workforce will be deployed to carry out local switching and repairs to restore power as safely and quickly as the conditions allow.”
How to stay safe in Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice
The Met Office has tips on how to stay safe during Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice. Both will bring gale-force winds to the North East. They follow Storm Malik, which ripped the roof off a home in Gateshead and led to power cuts.
Before the storms
There are things you can do before the storm escalates to best protect your home, property and people.
The Met Office says:
- Secure loose objects such as ladders, garden furniture or anything else that could be blown into windows and other glazing and break them
- Close and securely fasten doors and windows, particularly those on the windward side of the house, and especially large doors such as those on garages
- Park vehicles in a garage, if available; otherwise keep them clear of buildings, trees, walls and fences
- Close and secure loft trapdoors with bolts, particularly if roof pitch is less than 30°
- If the house is fitted with storm shutters over the windows then ensure that these are closed and fastened
- If chimney stacks are tall and in poor condition, move beds away from areas directly below them
During the storms
Essentially, avoid travelling if you can, during the storm.
The Met Office's stay safe tips are:
- Stay indoors as much as possible
- If you do go out, try not to walk or shelter close to buildings and trees
- Keep away from the sheltered side of boundary walls and fences - if these structures fail, they will collapse on this side
- Do not go outside to repair damage while the storm is in progress
- If possible, enter and leave your house through doors in the sheltered side, closing them behind you
- Open internal doors only as needed, and close them behind you
- Take care when driving on exposed routes such as bridges, or high open roads, delay your journey or find alternative routes if possible
- Slow down and be aware of side winds, particular care should be taken if you are towing or are a high sided vehicle
- Do not drive unless your journey is really necessary
After the storm
Be wary of dangers after the storm too.
The Met Office advises:
- Be careful not to touch any electrical/telephone cables that have been blown down or are still hanging
- Do not walk too close to walls, buildings and trees as they could have been weakened
- Make sure that any vulnerable neighbours or relatives are safe and help them make arrangements for any repairs
Go here for the very latest breaking news updates from across the North East
