Thousands Of Homes Without Power

4 April 2012, 05:30 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Thousands of homes across the North East have been left without power after the bad weather.

Around 10,000 homes in the region have been hit by power cuts after a night of strong winds and wintry weather.

Engineers were called out to around 200 faults overnight - after gale force winds brought down power lines.

Drivers have been warned to take extra care on the roads - especially in County Durham and rural Northumberland.

Northumbria Police say:
Motorists should be alert to the dangers of standing water on the region's roads, for snow on higher ground and for icy patches over night. 

Northumbria Police is advising motorists to exercise caution and remember the following advice for driving in wintry conditions: 

* Moderate your speed to match the conditions but try not to brake sharply, use the gears instead to decelerate
* Maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front - stopping distances are longer on wet or icy roads
* Ensure you have adequate visibility by clearing front and back windscreens and all windows/wing mirrors before setting off
* Keep your windscreen washer bottle topped up, with the addition of winter screen wash
* Clean your headlights front and rear before driving and use dipped headlights when driving in poor visibility, including heavy rain as well as snowBe alert for pedestrians walking on roads when footpaths are too snowy or icy to use.

Meanwhile, a weather warning's been issued by the Met Office until 6pm tonight (Wednesday 4th April)

The Yellow warning says:
"Rain is expected to turn to snow on high ground as colder air moves south across England and Wales on Tuesday and Wednesday.

2-5cm of snow is likely in places, mainly above around 200m with as much as 10 to 15cm possible above 300m.

Little, if any, snow is expected to accumulate on roads and pavements below 200m. The area of rain, sleet and snow will clear from the north during Wednesday."