Storm Otto has caused chaos for commuters across the North East.
Gale force winds of up to 75mph began battering the region from 5am on Friday morning. They have caused powercuts as well as train disruption and road closures.
The Met Office previously issued a yellow weather warning for the area. They warned people that injuries and danger to life from flying debris were possible.
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Northern Power Grid reported how 19,000 customers had been affected by power cuts on Friday. They said their teams had been responding quickly and had already managed to reconnect over 11,000 customers. They said: "For customers impacted, at this stage we’re hopeful that the majority of customers will have their power restored today."
Wind speeds of 57 mph were being recorded on the Redheugh Bridge on Friday morning. The bridge was closed in both directions to high sided vehicles. The closure meant that Go North East services X30 and X31 were unable to stop at Teams Slip Road inbound Newcastle.
In Gateshead, there was heavy traffic on Whickham Highway due to a fallen tree. The road was closed in both directions from Dunston Bank to Knightside Gardens.
The A1, north of Darlington, was also closed just after 9am. Police and paramedics rushed to the scene after a lorry and a van overturned between J60 and J59 on the southbound lane. The road was closed in both directions between J60 A689 Bradbury and J59 A167 Aycliffe.
The spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) said one patient was treated and discharged on scene and another was taken to the Darlington Memorial Hospital for further treatment.
In North Tyneside, Whitley Bay Metro station had to be closed to the public. Nexus said that gale force winds had brought down a glass roof panel at the station. Fortunately nobody was injured.
A Nexus spokesperson said: "The station has been closed to the public while our structural engineers conduct a detailed inspection to ensure that it is safe for it to re-open. Metro services are currently running through Whitley Bay station without stopping there."
Customers were told they could use Metro tickets on Go North East bus No1 and Arriva buses 51,54 and 306.
The storm also led to all train lines on the East Coast Main Line being blocked. LNER warned of disruption across its entire network due to the extreme weather.
There were train cancellations to and from Newcastle, north and south. Rail replacement coaches were put in place between York and Newcastle and Edinburgh and Newcastle.
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