A yellow warning for wind has been issued for the North East following concerns over a Beast from the East 2.

Strong winds have been predicted for much of the North East from Friday with chances of injuries and danger to life from flying debris.

The weather warning is in place from 6am on Friday, February 17 until 6pm the same day.

Met Office has warned that there is a chance roof tiles could be blowing off as the region will be battered by 50 to 60mph gusts.

The Northern Echo:

Gusts of 70mph are also possible, particularly for more exposed trans-Pennine routes.

Warnings that journey times could be impacted due to the extreme weather with some potential to affect other services such as mobile phone services.

There is also a small chance that some roads and bridges could be closed.

Gritters prepared if Beast from the East two comes

It comes as drivers have been reassured County Durham has enough grit to keep the roads clear, amid forecasts a similar weather event which led to 2018's Beast from the East might be on the way.

The Met Office said a major Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) - a sudden jump in temperatures which can trigger a large area of blocking high pressure - may occur late this month or in early March.

In 2018, such an event led to the Beast from the East, which blanketed the North East with snow and shut down hundreds of schools.

The Met Office has stressed the SSW will not necessarily mean a repeat of the Beast from the East.

They said for the next week or so, it is likely to lead to "changeable conditions" with temperatures milder than average.