The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning covering the whole of the North East ahead of the arrival of Storm Babet this week - here's when it is set to hit the region.

Storm Babet is set to hit the North East from Wednesday, October 18 until Saturday, October 21  with flooding, power cuts and travel disruption all expected according to forecasters.

The heavy rain may also cause “fast-flowing and deep floodwater” that could pose a “danger to life”, and there is also a chance of essential services like gas, water and mobile phone signals being disrupted.

Read more: Storm Babet: Yellow weather warning in place for North East

The Northern Echo: Storm Babet is set to hit tomorrow (Wednesday, October 18).Storm Babet is set to hit tomorrow (Wednesday, October 18). (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Whilst Tuesday is set to be a dry day, the storm is set to brew overnight, causing a "windy day with the risk of coastal gales later" on Wednesday, where showers are predicted to begin at midnight.

For the rest of the week, forecasters have predicted: "Rain and showers likely for Thursday and Friday with strong winds. Risk of gales.

"Saturday is probably drier but cloudy with further showers. Feeling increasingly cold."

Stephen Dixon, a Met Office spokesman, said of the national forecast: “A disruptive period of weather is on the way.

“There are some high totals (of rain) which have the potential to disrupt travel plans… possibility of power cuts as well as the obvious risk of flooding.

“As you look at Wednesday, the first pulse of rain is looking to particularly influence Northern Ireland, Wales and the southwest of England, and into Thursday.

“But it’s as you move from Thursday and into the week that shift very much focuses more towards central and eastern Scotland, but also some central and eastern areas of England as well.”

He added that further weather warnings are likely to be announced by the Met Office in the coming days.

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David Morgan, flood duty manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said: “Storm Babet will bring heavy rain and high winds across Scotland from Wednesday evening, starting in the south west before moving across to the north east through Thursday and into the weekend.

“Flood alerts and warnings will be issued as required, and we continue to work with the Met Office to monitor the situation 24/7.”

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution has urged the public to exercise “extreme caution,” particularly along exposed cliffs, seafronts and piers.