IT may well be the height of summer but weather more typical of November is forecast to descend on the region over the next few days.

If it is any consolation, the North-East and North Yorkshire should escape the worst excesses of the unseasonal deep depression which was sweeping the south of England last night.

However, the region could suffer flooding and falling trees as a result of heavy downpours and winds - expected to reach up to 45mph.

Temperatures will plummet to 12C in some places with little improvement for the weekend, reaching highs of only 17C.

The Met Office has warned it will be a "shocker", while a PA WeatherCentre spokesman said: "It's going to be wet, windy, cold and absolutely horrid over the next two days.

"Although not a record, the weather is unseasonal for July, with a combination of strong winds, heavy rain and depressed temperatures making it feel more like November."

Met Office spokesman Wayne Elliott said: "At the moment we are experiencing the effects of a low pressure system moving up from France, where there have been thundery storms and heavy rain.

"It feels pretty miserable but unfortunately that is the nature of British weather - we don't live in the Mediterranean so our summers are often unsettled.

"Overall, it has been an average summer, the beginning of June was glorious but we forget that when things turn bleak."

Mr Elliott added: "Unfortunately, more unsettled weather is expected throughout the weekend but things should start to improve after that."

On the south coast, ferry firm P&O had to cancel services between Portsmouth and Cherburg and Portsmouth to Caen because of high winds.

More than 40,000 homes were without power in the East and South-East. Engineers were working to restore electricity to customers in Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Essex and Suffolk