Roads have been closed, trains cancelled and schools shut as severe gale force winds hit north-east England and Cumbria.

An amber weather warning is in place as Storm Éowyn sweeps across parts of the UK.

All trains in Cumbria have been cancelled and no services are operating between England and Scotland in either direction, Network Rail said.

Thousands of homes and businesses across the region are without power, while flights and ferry services have also been hit.

A spokesperson for Northern Powergrid said it has restored power to 636 homes as of 09:30 GMT, but thousands remain “off supply” in Northumberland, County Durham and Tyne and Wear.

In Cumbria, thousands of homes are affected with Electricity North West saying it could take until Saturday evening to get power back to everyone.

Dozens of schools are closed across Cumbria and Northumberland for safety reasons.

Keswick School head teacher Simon Jackson told parents that sustained high winds “make guaranteeing everyone’s safety across the school site impossible”.

An amber weather warning is in place for wind until 21:00 on Friday, with some snow expected in the Pennine and Border areas.

Gusts in excess of 60mph (97km/h) are widely expected, with more than 80mph (129km/h) likely over exposed hills and along the Cumbria coast where large waves will be an additional hazard.

Forecasters are warning the wind could be “damaging, dangerous and possibly life-threatening”.

BBC Look North’s weather presenter Paul Mooney said: “Things look less windy by Saturday.”

All train companies in the region have warned lines may be closed at short notice due to the impact of Éowyn, with some issuing “do not travel” advice.

A number of flights have been cancelled at Newcastle Airport.

The A66 between Penrith and Scotch Corner and the A628 have been closed since midnight, while the A19 Tees flyover is closed to high sided and vulnerable vehicles in both directions between the A1046 and the A66 near Stockton-on-Tees.

The A19 northbound is blocked from Seaham Grange roundabout to Herrington Interchange in Sunderland due to an overturned lorry.

Two out of three lanes of the M6 are shut in both directions between junctions 43 and 44 after a collision involving an HGV.

The Shields Ferry has been suspended all day, with a half-hourly bus replacement service running through the Tyne Tunnel.

Karl Melville, from Cumberland Council, said his area was expecting “airborne issues” such as flying debris to cause power outages.

He advised: “Think about what you’re doing. Look out for your neighbours.”

Gateshead council leader Martin Gannon said extreme weather “does seem to be coming a much more regular feature”, adding: “It’s clearly related to issues of global warming.”

The Sands Centre in Carlisle has closed after high winds caused damage to the temporary canopy installed while the auditorium roof is replaced.

A police cordon has been set up on Newmarket Road and a Cumberland Council spokesperson has advised people not to return to their vehicles if they are parked in the Sands Centre or Swifts car parks.

Some court cases have been postponed or delayed at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court and Crown Court due to Scotland-based defendants being unable to travel safely.

Sellafield workers have been told to work from home if they can.

The firm said “as a precautionary measure, all outside working on the site is restricted… unless in the interests of maintaining nuclear safety or security and subject to risk assessments”.

Forestry England advised people to stay away from its sites in Cumbria, including Whinlatter and Grizedale, “due to the risk of falling trees”.

Northumberland Country Parks at Bolam Lake, Plessey Woods and Druridge Bay are closed, as are the Beamish and Bowes museums in County Durham.

At least two-thirds of all National Trust sites in the North East have closed.

Meanwhile, Darlington Borough Council’s tip and waste transfer station will remain closed all day.