The UK is bracing for two storms in two days, with Storm Austen expected to hit southern areas on Friday and Storm Boelo set to affect the North of England, Northern Ireland and Scotland through the weekend.
These are the first named storms of the winter season, both bringing high winds to the country. Both have triggered yellow weather warnings for high winds, with Storm Austen prompting an amber "danger to life" warning in South West England.
Gusts of up to 80mph expected
Gusts ranging from 60-70mph are expected across affected areas in the next few days, with the Met Office warning people to prepare for situations such as long travel times and power cuts. The travel disruption is set to be compounded by the first weekend of the autumn half-term, with many families travelling for the break.
Storm names are released by the Met Office every September, with each of the names chosen by the public. Storms are named when there is a spell of weather bad enough to cause disruption or damage, often accompanied by weather warnings.
North East under yellow warning for Storm Boelo
The Met Office sent out a warning from Saturday evening to Sunday evening this weekend. They said: "Very windy conditions will persist overnight and through much of Sunday before gradually easing from the southwest later. Gusts of 55-65 mph are likely widely with some coastal or exposed areas potentially seeing gusts of 70-80 mph or more."
The following areas of the North East are included in the weather warning:
- Durham
- Gateshead
- Hartlepool
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- North Tyneside
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- South Tyneside
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Sunderland
Live coverage continues as the first storms of winter unfold, with updates to forecasts and travel advice for the half-term holidays.
