People across the North East face a soggy and windy weekend as two storm systems threaten to bring days of unsettled weather to the region.
Storm Austen, the first named storm of the year, will bring rain and wind across the UK - and will be most felt in the south west of England on Thursday and Friday.
As the storm moves from west to east, moderate wind and rain are expected in the North East on Friday afternoon before the storm clears into the North Sea.
Storm Austen is currently developing in the Atlantic The jet stream drives it towards the UK on Thursday into Friday, bringing wet and very windy conditions to some areas Another system is likely to form into the weekend bringing more wind and rain Stay #WeatherAware https://t.co/pjMoq1AEtn
— Met Office (@metoffice) October 21, 2026
The Met Office warns that the North East is not out of the clear, with another area of low pressure on course to hit this weekend.
If named, this pressure system would be named Storm Boelo, and is forecast to hit the region more strongly than Storm Austen's aftermath.
A second area of low pressure could reach northern parts of the UK over the weekend, bringing more wind and rain to the North East.
Yellow warnings are listed for England's south coast, and north east Scotland, on Friday. A yellow warning is also listed for parts of Scotland on Saturday.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Tom Crabtree said: “While the exact track and position of Storm Austen is still being determined, what’s clear is that we have an impactful period of weather on the way and the potential for disruption in places, which has resulted in the system being named.”
Are there any expected transport disruptions?
There are currently no North East-specific transport warnings, but train services could potentially see knock-on delays if weather affects infrastructure elsewhere.
The A1(M), A19 and coastal routes may also experience reduced visibility and standing water during heavier rain bands.
While the most severe impacts are expected to hit southern England, North East travellers could still face wet and windy conditions on Friday and over the weekend, with the potential for rail and road disruption as areas of low pressure moves east across the UK.
What should people expect?Thursday: It is expected to remain calm, with no rain forecast and clear skies expected until the early hours of Friday across Darlington, Durham, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Newcastle, and Hartlepool.
Friday: Early Friday morning will start with light rain, becoming more moderate as dawn approaches and persisting throughout the day. Rain is expected to peak around the early afternoon, weakening over Friday evening and giving the region a break overnight.
Winds are expected to be light throughout Friday morning, growing slightly over the afternoon and evening.
Saturday: Light rain will begin across the region at around 9am, becoming more moderate in southern County Durham and Teesside over the afternoon.
Rain is expected to persist across the region throughout the day, weakening slightly towards Sunday.
Winds will increase towards midday, peaking around 2pm but remaining moderate through to Sunday.
Sunday: The previous night's light rains are expected to persist until Sunday afternoon, before the region dries over the evening.
Sunday's winds are forecast to be the strongest of the weekend, reaching 23mph around Durham city at just 6am. Winds are expected to peak at around noon before calming down towards Sunday night.
Southern County Durham will see slightly weaker winds lasting throughout the morning and into the early afternoon before a calmer evening.
(Image: The Northern Echo)
Weather across the North East is expected to remain unsettled through the weekend and into next week, with locals advised to keep an eye on forecasts in case any of the pressure systems' paths change. Further warnings may be issued.
Coastal areas could see large waves, strong winds and dangerous sea conditions, the RNLI warns.
RNLI Water Safety Manager Ross Macleod said: “Storm Austen is set to bring potentially dangerous conditions so we’re asking the public to stay vigilant and not take unnecessary risks.”
Macleod said people visiting the coast or a waterside location in coming days should stay away from the water.
If someone enters the water, the RNLI advises people to call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard, rather than entering the water themselves.