Amber weather warning for snow issued as maps show when Storm Bert will hit Newcastle

An amber weather warning has been issued with snow and hail set to hit the North East on Saturday morning.

The wintry conditions - brought by Storm Bert - will hit the region from around 8.30am, weather forecasters at the Met Office have warned. The amber warning highlights how there will be a "spell of snow across parts of northern England" while the organisation's live mapping tools show when snow will hit Newcastle.

The maps show the snow will likely move towards higher ground by 11am - but hail is likely to trouble much of the North East throughout the morning, followed by heavy rain until mid-afternoon. The new amber warning runs from 7am to 12pm - and while it is only in place for areas of Durham and Northumberland at higher ground, a wider yellow warning shows snow will be a real issue throughout the region.

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The amber warning sees Met Office experts say: "Outbreaks of rain will spread northeastwards on Saturday, preceded by a spell of snow across parts of northern England and Scotland.

"Whilst snow will become increasingly confined to higher elevations with time, there is the chance of a transient period of snow to low levels in some areas, with perhaps as much as 5-10 cm accumulating in places, especially the Vale of York, before turning back to rain. Temporary snow accumulations of 10-20 cm are possible on ground above 150m, with perhaps as much as 20-40 cm above 300m."

Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said Storm Bert was a “multi-hazard event”. “We’re looking at strong winds, some high snowfall accumulation, heavy rain, all in various different parts of the UK,” he said. So it’s quite a complex weather set-up for the weekend. Generally speaking, it’s a very unsettled weekend of weather ahead.”

He advised the public to keep an eye on the weather in their areas. “Because of the different nature of the weather across the UK, people really need to have an idea of what the forecast is for them specifically.

“Further south it’s wind and rain, further north it’s snow then rain and wind. So it really depends on where you are in the UK. Keep on top of the forecast for your area, and prepare as necessary. Obviously, with snow and ice there could be some pretty tricky conditions, especially in the morning (on Saturday), so if you are going to leave the house pay attention to what’s going on in your area with the local authorities."