Thousands of homes across the North East have this morning woken up without power as Storm Isha leaves a trail of devastation.

Properties across the region, particularly those in rural areas, have been hit by electricity outages overnight.

There have been reports of fallen powerlines overnight as high winds also brought down trees.

About 600 homes are without power in Wheatley Hill, County Durham in what the powergrid describes as a “major” outage.

Follow our live blog and get the latest updates on Storm Isha here

Northern Powergrid said it was currently unable to provide estimates for how long power may be off.

The provider said: “Our teams are working to restore power to customers impacted where it is safe to do so.

“Due to the current severe weather conditions, we are unable to provide you with estimated restoration times.

“Supporting you is our priority. Please log your power cut so we can update you as we safely progress with our repairs.”

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Anyone experiencing a power emergency or whose life is medically dependent on electricity should call 105.

The Met Office said the highest recorded wind speed was 99mph at Brizlee Wood in Northumberland.

Roads have been closed and disruption is expected throughout the morning on the railways with anyone travelling north of Newcastle advised to wait until at least midday on Monday.