The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for heavy rain in parts of the North East.
Areas of County Durham and Northumberland are affected by the warning which comes into force at 12pm on Wednesday and is in place until 3am on Thursday.
There is a risk of flooding, travel disruption and power cuts as heavy rain batters parts of the region including Allendale in Northumberland and near to Barnard Castle.
A spokesperson for the Met Office said: "Spells of heavy rain will affect parts of northern England on Wednesday, especially during the afternoon and evening. 20 to 40 mm is likely quite widely with as much as 50 to 80 mm in a few places, mainly across hilly parts of Cumbria.
"The rain will clear away southeastwards on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning."
What to expect
- There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings
- Where flooding occurs, there is a slight chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services
- Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
- There is a small chance that some communities become cut off by flooded roads
- There is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses
