Summer could turn into a washout this week with heavy showers and thunderstorms on the horizon.
After a fine and dry weekend, rain is set to return on Tuesday and last for most of the week.
The humid weather on Thursday will create perfect conditions for thunderstorms, with a warning issued by the Met Office between 12pm and 9pm.
The yellow 'be aware' warning covers the entire North East, as well as parts of the North West, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The forecasters have warned that the stormy weather could cause travel disruption and flooding to homes, roads and paths.
Trains and buses may be delayed or cancelled if the weather is severe and there is a chance of power cuts during lightning strikes.
Spray on the roads and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some roads may be closed.
Where showers do develop across the North East, they will be "slow-moving" with the potential for 20-30mm of rain in a hour and 40-50mm in two-three hours according to the Met Office.
The thunderstorms and rain are expected to die out by Thursday evening, leaving a dry and sunny day on Friday with highs of 18C.
Alex Burkill, Met Office forecaster, said: "The thunder will bring a lot of downpours, which could cause localised problems, so we will watch these."
