The North East felt the full force of Storm Arwen with gusts of almost 100 miles per hour battering some areas.

Two people have been confirmed dead across the UK, buildings were damaged and trees blown down in the “damaging” winds.

The Met Office said speeds hit 98mph at Brizlee Wood in Northumberland.

While the red weather warning expired in the early hours of Saturday, the forecaster said amber and yellow warnings for wind remained in place, with the expectation of “some very strong gusts” in many areas.

Pictures of the carnage have been flooding in all morning.

 

A fallen tree blocks a road in the centre of Norton village in Teeside after gusts of almost 100 miles per hour battered some areas of the UK during Storm Arwen. Picture date: Saturday November 27, 2021. PA Photo. The Met Office issued a rare red warning

A fallen tree blocks a road in the centre of Norton village in Teeside after gusts of almost 100 miles per hour battered some areas of the UK during Storm Arwen. Picture date: Saturday November 27, 2021. PA Photo. The Met Office issued a rare red warning

 

People were still advised to only travel if absolutely necessary, and the Met Office described gusts overnight as “damaging” and having affected “a wide swathe of the United Kingdom”.

Roads were closed by fallen debris in the worst-hit parts of Scotland, while LNER train services north of Newcastle were also ground to a halt, with high winds, heavy rain and snowfall arriving from Friday afternoon.

 

A lorry blown over in high winds blocks the A179 near Hartlepool, County Durham, after gusts of almost 100 miles per hour battered some areas of the UK during Storm Arwen. Picture date: Saturday November 27, 2021. PA Photo. The Met Office issued a rare

A lorry blown over in high winds blocks the A179 near Hartlepool, County Durham, after gusts of almost 100 miles per hour battered some areas of the UK during Storm Arwen. Picture date: Saturday November 27, 2021. PA Photo. The Met Office issued a rare

 

The Met Office warned the north-east of England, north-west of England, Yorkshire, the West Midlands and the East Midlands will experience cold weather until Monday.

Amber weather warnings remain in place until around 9am on Saturday for the north-east coasts of England and Scotland, and the south-west coasts of England and Wales, while the yellow warning covers most of the UK until 6pm.

 

Huge waves crash against the lighthouse in Seaham Harbour, County Durham, in the tail end of Storm Arwen which saw gusts of almost 100 miles per hour battering areas of the UK. Picture date: Saturday November 27, 2021. PA Photo. The Met Office issued a

Huge waves crash against the lighthouse in Seaham Harbour, County Durham, in the tail end of Storm Arwen which saw gusts of almost 100 miles per hour battering areas of the UK. Picture date: Saturday November 27, 2021. PA Photo. The Met Office issued a

Friday night’s rugby union Premiership game between Newcastle Falcons and Worcester Warriors was postponed until Saturday evening due to safety concerns.

And in North Wales, ITV was forced to pre-record Friday night’s live episode of I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! amid concerns, including that poor weather would interfere with the broadcast around Gwrych Castle.

 

A house which lost its roof in high winds in Blackhall, County Durham, after gusts of almost 100 miles per hour battered some areas of the UK during Storm Arwen. Picture date: Saturday November 27, 2021. PA Photo. The Met Office issued a rare red warning

A house which lost its roof in high winds in Blackhall, County Durham, after gusts of almost 100 miles per hour battered some areas of the UK during Storm Arwen. Picture date: Saturday November 27, 2021. PA Photo. The Met Office issued a rare red warning

 

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said it had been dealing with a “large” number of incidents late on Friday “caused by the current weather conditions including many fallen trees and roofs being blown off structures”.

Meanwhile ScotRail services were disrupted between Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street, Dunblane and Stirling after a barn was blown onto the line close to Polmont, near Falkirk.

The Met Office described the conditions as “horrendous” and people also reported power cuts.

 

A fallen tree blocks a road in the centre of Norton village in Teeside after gusts of almost 100 miles per hour battered some areas of the UK during Storm Arwen. Picture date: Saturday November 27, 2021. PA Photo. The Met Office issued a rare red warning

A fallen tree blocks a road in the centre of Norton village in Teeside after gusts of almost 100 miles per hour battered some areas of the UK during Storm Arwen. Picture date: Saturday November 27, 2021. PA Photo. The Met Office issued a rare red warning

 

Northern Powergrid said severe gales had caused power cuts for more than 55,000 customers, mainly in the Northumberland, County Durham and Tyne and Wear areas.

Footage showed howling winds whipping up the North Sea in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, and snowfall elsewhere, including in Redcar, Yorkshire, and Whitley Bay, Northumberland.

North West Motorway Police said around 120 lorries were “stuck in the snow” on the M62 at junctions 21 and 22 and urged motorists to avoid the area.

 

A man makes safe fallen masonry from a property, which has damaged a nearby car, on Gloucester Avenue in Roker, Sunderland, after gusts of almost 100 miles per hour battered some areas of the UK during Storm Arwen. Picture date: Saturday November 27,

A man makes safe fallen masonry from a property, which has damaged a nearby car, on Gloucester Avenue in Roker, Sunderland, after gusts of almost 100 miles per hour battered some areas of the UK during Storm Arwen. Picture date: Saturday November 27,

 

Tweeting pictures of the motorway blanketed in white, they said snow ploughs had been deployed.

A Met Office statement said: “People should stay away from the coast as waves and debris are a danger to life.”