Image source, Carlisle Cathedral

Carlisle Cathedral has also been affected by the stormy weather.

It says the building and surrounding area are "unsafe" and further danger is expected from falling trees and debris.

"Therefore, there is strictly no access to the Cathedral precinct via any of the three entrances both today (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday).

"All public services for today and tomorrow are cancelled, however prayers will be said by the Clergy.

"Stay safe and warm everyone."

A fallen tree means a stretch of the A1 in Northumberland is closed.

The section between Clifton and Tranwell, which is south of Morpeth, is affected.

No injuries have been reported, Northumbria Police said.

Students and staff are being evacuated from Egglescliffe School, in Eaglescliffe, after high winds brought scaffolding down.

A message sent to parents - and seen by the BBC - says all students and staff are safe.

"Unfortunately after advice from police and fire brigade we'll have to evacuate and close the school," it said.

"School buses en route."

Cleveland Fire Brigade was called to the school at about 11:45.

It said crews were standing by at the scene, with police also in attendance to assist with a road closure.

The southbound carriageway of Redheugh Bridge, which links Newcastle and Gateshead, is closed after a vehicle overturned.

Lane two of the northbound carriageway is also shut, Northumbria Police says.

The bridge is closed to pedestrians.

No injuries have been reported.

BBC Radio Tees output may be affected on FM due to the high winds at Bilsdale Transmitter.

Owner Arqiva is investigating and will be working to fix the problem as soon as they can.

BBC Radio Tees is still broadcasting on BBC Sounds, DAB, Freeview 714 and 95FM in some areas.

As we reported earlier, the A19 is partially closed between the Herrington interchange and Seaham Grange after a lorry overturned.

Fortunately, police say no-one is believed to have been seriously injured, but have told drivers to find other routes while the lorry is moved.

Image source, PA Media

Federica Bedendo
BBC News

It was pretty blustery in Maryport this morning, to say the least.

High tide was at about 07:00 and the waves were still crashing over the barrier along the promenade.

There were very few people around Maryport in this storm, though I spotted the odd dog walker and a few people, like me, here to see the drama of the huge waves along the seafront.

There is a little bit of rain here too but that is certainly not the concern today. Gusts in excess of 80mph are expected along the Cumbrian coast and it is proving pretty tough to stand in this wind already...

Along with the closures we reported earlier, the following roads are also shut:

• The A19 northbound between A690 Herrington interchange and A1018 Seaham Grange roundabout because of an overturned lorry
• One lane is currently shut on Durham Road in Stockton between the Mile House pub (junction of Darlington Lane) and Hardwick Road due to a fallen tree
• The A689 eastbound near Wynyard from Stockton Road roundabout (A689) to the A177 due to an overturned HGV
• Yarm Road in Stockton, near to the junction of South View due to a fallen tree
• The slip road off the A174 at the Marton Interchange (westbound) in Middlesbrough is partially blocked because of a fallen tree

Storm Éowyn has been sweeping across the North East and Cumbria today. Here is a round-up of the main issues:

• An amber wind warning from the Met Office is in place until 21:00 across the North East and Cumbria
• Thousands of properties are without power
• Trains stopped running on the East Coast Mainline earlier this morning and train services across the region are affected, with passengers being urged not to travel
• A number of roads have been closed including the A66 between Bowes and Brough, a section of the A19 to high-sided vehicles, and a section of the M6. Fallen trees are also causing problems on roads across the region
• In Carlisle, an area around the Sands Centre has been closed over concerns about the safety of the scaffolding canopy over the building
• A number of flights at Newcastle Airport have been cancelled
• Dozens of schools have been closed for safety reasons

Trees are being toppled in the windy weather.

This one in Percy Gardens, Whitley Bay, is blocking the road and narrowly missed smashing the windows of a house.

The following roads have been closed due to fallen trees:

• A685 between Kendal and Grayrigg
• Askew Gate Brow, Kirkby-In-Furness
• Grizedale vistors' centre to Moor Top car park
• Local road east of Lake Coniston
• A5074 Smith Lane towards Bowland Bridge
• Highlands Grove, Barrow
• Red Lane
• West of Grizebeck Bridge, Glenridding - closed due to hanging tree

The pavement on Hartington Street in Barrow is blocked due to a collapsed wall.

Portland Road in Barrow has been closed by Cumbria Police.

Image source, Weather Watcher: Alison

Network Rail has pleaded with people living near railway lines to tie down any loose garden items.

Industry weather response director Lisa Angus said items like "trampolines or gazebos pose a risk of blowing on to the railway and could cause further unnecessary delays for passengers and freight services”.

Wind gusts of up to 80mph (129km/h) are set battering parts of the region.

Image source, Network Rail

The timeframe for restoring power in some places in Cumbria has been set to 18:00 on Saturday.

Electricity North West said it made the decision after feedback from customers who wanted to know the "worst case scenario".

“The weather conditions that are forecast are on a par with Storm Arwen," said Stephanie Trubshaw, the operator's incident manager.

"Conditions certainly won’t be easy and if we can’t restore people remotely utilising technology, teams will carry out repairs when it is safe to do so.

"However, I want to stress if power can be restored earlier, we’ll do exactly that and we’ll keep customers regularly updated."

Electricity North West said power had been restored to 25,600 properties in the region, with engineers working to bring electricity back to 6,000 more.

Some double decker buses have been withdrawn from service because of the strong winds, operator Arriva says.

An Arriva North East spokesperson said it was used to dealing with adverse weather and it had risk assessments for all routes. It said the safety of staff and customers was its top priority.

“Where necessary double deckers have been withdrawn but we are continuously reviewing this throughout the day and any changes will be relayed to our customers," they said.

• The A66 has been closed from Bowes to Brough since midnight. It will remain shut until the weather improves.
• The A19 is closed to high sided and vulnerable vehicles in both directions between the A1046 and the A66 near Stockton-on-Tees
• The M6 is closed between junctions 43 and 44 after a collision involving an HGV. Two out of three lanes are shut in both directions
• Callers to BBC local radio stations have also reported other issues on roads including around Morpeth, Great Ayton, Darlington, Stockton and Wynyard

Hundreds of properties in the North East have been affected by power cuts caused by the strong winds.

At 09:30 Northern Powergrid said it had restored power to 636 customers with 1,623 still without supplies across Northumberland, County Durham and Tyne and Wear.

A spokesperson said: “Storm Éowyn has started to impact our region, bringing strong winds since midnight last night.

"We were prepared for this, and we're responding to any customers affected."

It said it would be keeping its customers updated with text messages, on its website and social media.

The power cuts map can be seen here., external

Mark McAlindon
BBC Look North

In Carlisle roads, paths and car parks around the Sands Centre have been closed following concerns for a scaffolding canopy over the auditorium.

Early morning swimmers were asked to quickly leave the building once the impact of high winds from storm Éowyn had been noticed.

The scaffolding above the wing of the Sands, where reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) is being replaced, is lifting and buckling in the wind.

A Cumberland Council said: "The Sands Centre and Swifts car parks have both closed. Do not return to vehicles if you are parked in these car parks until you are advised it is safe to do so.

"Newmarket Road has been closed and a police cordon is place."

Road closures and safety measures are being put in place in Carlisle because of the high winds, Cumbria Police say.

These include closures in and around Hardwicke Circus due to concerns about work which is being carried out at the Sands Centre.

The car park has been cleared – but road closures may be put in place, police say. Pedestrians and dog walkers are being asked to stay away from the area, including on the riverside and park walks nearby.

Shaddongate is being closed from Dixons chimney to Castle Way due to dangers in that area, it added.

BBC Newcastle
BBC Radio Newcastle

People have been urged not to travel today as trains are "severely limited" and hit by delays.

Services stopped running north of Newcastle earlier this morning.

"Our priorities are to run trains, not to cancel them, but the conditions really are quite exceptional this morning," said Sam MacDougall, Network Rail's operations director for the East Coast route.

"A lot of problems already, a lot of disruption.

"Please avoid travelling today if you can."

BBC local radio stations across the North East and Cumbria will be keeping you up to date as Storm Éowyn sweeps in.

Here is where to listen where you live:

• BBC Radio Cumbria
• BBC Radio Newcastle
• BBC Radio Tees