North East hour-by-hour forecast as Storm Ashley hits UK with warnings in force

Rain is expected throughout the morning across the North East
-Credit: (Image: Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)


Storm Ashley will batter much of the UK with strong winds and heavy rain today (Sunday, October 20) - but the North East will escape much of the worst weather, with sunshine even in the forecast this afternoon.

There are multiple weather warnings to be aware of for anyone planning travel outside of the region today, particularly with some families enjoying the start of October half term. Yellow warnings for strong winds are in force until midnight across all of Scotland as well as parts of Wales and north-west England, while a separate Yellow rain warning has been issued for a section of Wales and south-west England, and a severe Amber warning is in force for "danger to life" gales across western Scotland.

Those with journeys planned across the border into Scotland are particularly advised to stay up to date with any travel and weather updates, with parts of western Scotland forecast to see gusts of up to 80mph on Sunday afternoon. The Met Office has warned that longer journey times and cancellations are likely across road, rail, air and ferry services, with some roads and bridges likely to close.

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Looking at the North East, light to heavy rain is widely forecast throughout the morning across the region from Berwick in Northumberland all the way down to Hartlepool in County Durham, including in Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland. But this is expected to ease off by around 1pm, making way for a bright and sunny afternoon in most areas.

However, winds will remain strong throughout the day as the impact of Storm Ashley is felt in the region, with Newcastle and Sunderland forecast to see gusts of up to 60mph tonight, while up in Berwick speeds could hit 65mph. Here's what the weather will look like hour-by-hour today, according to the latest forecast from the Met Office.

Hour-by-hour forecast for Sunday, October 20 in Newcastle

  • 9am: 11°C / Heavy rain / >95% chance of precipitation / 46mph wind gust

  • 10am: 11°C / Light rain / >95% chance of precipitation / 49mph wind gust

  • 11am: 12°C / Heavy rain / >95% chance of precipitation / 49mph wind gust

  • 12pm: 12°C / Heavy shower / >95% chance of precipitation / 47mph wind gust

  • 1pm: 13°C / Light shower / 60% chance of precipitation / 42mph wind gust

  • 2pm: 15°C / Sunny / 20% chance of precipitation / 42mph wind gust

  • 3pm: 15°C / Sunny / 20% chance of precipitation / 46mph wind gust

  • 4pm: 15°C / Sunny / 20% chance of precipitation / 49mph wind gust

  • 5pm: 14°C / Sunny / 20% chance of precipitation / 51mph wind gust

  • 6pm: 14°C / Partly cloudy / 10% chance of precipitation / 53mph wind gust

  • 7pm: 13°C / Partly cloudy / 20% chance of precipitation / 57mph wind gust

  • 8pm: 13°C / Cloudy / 30% chance of precipitation / 59mph wind gust

  • 9pm: 13°C / Partly cloudy / 40% chance of precipitation / 60mph wind gust

  • 10pm: 13°C / Light shower / 60% chance of precipitation / 60mph wind gust

  • 11pm: 12°C / Light shower / 70% chance of precipitation / 60mph wind gust

Looking ahead to next week, Monday is expected to bring blustery winds to the North East with sunny spells and scattered clouds, alongside the occasional shower which could become more frequent in the afternoon. But the early outlook for Tuesday to Thursday shows an improvement, with "plenty of bright spells" expected and winds growing lighter than in recent days, although there could still be the odd few showers.