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

Federica Bedendo
BBC News

Some people in Cumbria say they have had alerts to their phones about the severe red weather warning even though that warning doesn't currently cover the county.

The red weather warning is in place for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland and millions of people there have received emergency phone alerts.

But Cumbria and the North East currently have the lower level amber warning and so should not be receiving alerts.

My phone picked up the alarm for the red weather warning while I was on the prom. When you are in Maryport your phone often thinks you are in Dumfries and Galloway. We've also heard about the report being received in Whitehaven.

Image source, MET OFFICE

Looking at the arrival and departures board at Newcastle Airport, external, a number of flights have been cancelled today.

A Newcastle Airport spokesperson said: “Due to strong winds caused by Storm Éowyn, we are experiencing some disruption to our flight schedule.

"Passengers are advised to check the arrivals and departures page on our website and app for the latest information or contact their airline."

BBC Radio Cumbria

Cumbria's electricity company says there are now thousands of properties off in the county.

Appleby, Penrith, Wigton and Keswick - and surrounding villages - are among the areas affected.

Jonny Morgan, from Electricity North West, says it may be early tomorrow evening before everyone is back on.

You can keep track of the power cuts here, external.

BBC Newcastle
BBC Radio Newcastle

Originally the plan had been for trains for stop running north of Newcastle from 11:00, but that has already come into force.

So from now no trains are running between England and Scotland on the east coast line.

Sam MacDougall, Network Rail's operations director for the East Coast route, says they aim to have a full service back tomorrow.

Alison Freeman
BBC Look North

We’ve been at Whitehaven harbour since 05.30 and felt the strengths of the gusts gradually grow, at times strong enough to give you a shove.

Now that it’s light we can see the spray from the sea flying 30ft up into the air between the lighthouses at the mouth of the harbour. Foamy sea spray is flying through the air.

Power outages are starting to affect hundreds of homes across Cumbria as the storm starts heading towards its peak. Some schools have also closed.

The cross-Tyne Shields Ferry has been suspended all day, Tyne and Wear Metro operator Nexus said.

A half hourly replacement bus service is running between the two landings via the Tyne Tunnel.

The operator warned that there is a heightened risk of disruption on the network.

Metro customers are being advised to check before they travel, external.

Image source, Nexus