Storm Dudley: North East preparing for strong winds and heavy rain

The entire North East is now under an amber wind warning from the Met office - which will be in place until midnight.

It's as Storm Dudley hits the region bringing very strong gusts of up to 80 mph, with possible travel disruption and damage to trees.

Train and ferry services have been suspended, with temporary speed restrictions on some rail routes.

We will have the latest updates below:

UPDATE 16:37

UPDATE 16:27

Durham County Council:

"Given the weather warnings that are currently in place, we are encouraging all drivers to take care, especially those driving high-sided vehicles on busy routes such as the A1M, A19 and A66."

RAC Breakdown spokesperson Rod Dennis said:

“Drivers should take the fact the Met Office has upweighted its warnings from yellow to amber on Friday very seriously. Storm Eunice will make road conditions hazardous, so we strongly urge drivers not to risk it and instead consider delaying their journeys until the storm passes.

“For anyone who has to set out, we recommend sticking to major roads and avoiding exposed and coastal routes. It’s also vital to reduce speeds and to take extra care when passing high-sided vehicles so as not to get buffeted off course.

“Where snow comes into the mix, road conditions will quickly deteriorate making it important for drivers to adapt their driving styles. We strongly recommend being gentle on the accelerator, especially if the road surface becomes slippery.

"It’s worth knowing what to do in the event a car skids: in most cases, it’s best to gently steer into the direction of the skid and wait for the car to regain grip. Avoid the temptation to stamp on the brake.”

From Northern Powergrid:

• We are closely tracking the Storm Dudley as it approaches our region.

• The current forecast wind speeds of 60 to 70mph widely with potential for gusts of up to 80mph are likely to cause some damage to the network.

• Our team is poised to respond – all resources have been directed onto the storm response.

• Due to the nature of storms and the uncertainty of the damage they might cause, we will be providing generalised estimates of restorations that are subject to a significant degree of uncertainty.

• Customers affected by interruptions on parts of the network where we are likely to restore a significant proportion of those customers more quickly will see initial estimates of restoration during Thursday.

• Customers affected by interruptions where the early indications show that there is a realistic chance of the power not being restored during Thursday will see an initial estimated time of Friday.

• We will update from Thursday morning as the impact of the storm on the network becomes clear.

• Anyone who spots any damaged overhead power lines or other equipment must not approach the area and should report it immediately by calling 105.

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