1:31PM, Wed Nov 14, 2012

Wild Weather: Gale Force Winds Whip Up Giant Waves And Fallen Trees Block Roads

By Jenny Wotherspoon Location: Tyne and Wear

Tyne and Wear residents undeterred by wild weather

Wet weather and strong winds have caused 15ft waves along the North East coast and destroyed trees causing danger for drivers.

Huge swells burst sea defences from Sunderland to North Shields as predicted heavy rain and gale force winds moved across the region.

In Hartlepool, a tree branch fell in front of drivers making their way north through Crimdon towards Peterlee.

The incident occured just a day after a woman was killed by a falling tree branch in Kew Gardens, London, on Sunday.

The Met Office has already issued an amber weather warning, saying Britain is experiencing "a deep area of low pressure moving north from the Bay of Biscay."

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Waves 15ft high batter Sunderland and South Shields

The wind and rain are expected to continue during Tuesday, but should begin to ease off during the course of Wednesday afternoon.

The Met Office predicts more than three inches of rain could fall over parts of northern England, the Midlands and north and east Wales during Monday and Tuesday.

A spokesperson said: "We strongly urge people to sign up to flood warnings, keep a close eye on local weather forecasts and be prepared for the possibility of flooding.

"We also ask that people stay safe by staying away from swollen rivers and not attempting to drive through floodwater."