All train companies in the region have warned lines may be closed at short notice due to the impact of Éowyn, with some issuing “do not travel” advice.
A number of flights have been cancelled at Newcastle Airport.
The A66 between Penrith and Scotch Corner and the A628 have been closed since midnight, external, while the A19 Tees flyover is closed to high sided and vulnerable vehicles in both directions between the A1046 and the A66 near Stockton-on-Tees.
The Shields Ferry has been suspended all day, with a half-hourly bus replacement service running through the Tyne Tunnel.
Karl Melville from Cumberland Council said his area was expecting “airborne issues” such as flying debris to cause power outages.
He advised: “Think about what you’re doing. Look out for your neighbours.”
Gateshead council leader Martin Gannon said extreme weather “does seem to be coming a much more regular feature”, adding: “It’s clearly related to issues of global warming.”
