Yellow weather warning issued for rain as region already struggling with floods
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for rain across parts of the region including Darlington, Teesside, Hartlepool, North Yorkshire and parts of South West Durham from Crook down to Barnard Castle.
The alert, which came info force at 8.30am, remains until 3pm on Wednesday (October 9) afternoon.
Follow the latest on flooding across the region in our live blog
A band of persistent, heavy rain will move slowly south and may lead to some disruption to transport and infrastructure, the Met Office says.
A further 20-30mm of rain is likely, with a few places perhaps seeing 40mm or more.
The forecaster is warning of disruption on the roads with public transport affected, spray and flooding, and some interruption to power supplies possible. It added that disruption is very likely.
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The rain is unlikely to help flooding seen across the region this morning with roads closed and cars stranded.
The A1(M) has been completely closed between junctions 59 and 60, and patches of flooding have left some areas difficult to pass. It is not yet known when the motorway will reopen.
Drivers have been taking the risk of crossing through flood waters with some motorists getting stuck, including one Mini driver who deserted their car on the A68.