North East and Teesside emergency services prepared for cold snap
Storm Goretti is hitting the UK bringing high winds and snow
Last updated 9th Jan 2026
The North East and Teesside are continuing to face more weather warnings.
It's as the first named storm of the year called 'Goretti' has hit the UK - bringing high winds and snow.
Yellow Met Office alerts for ice and snow are in place across all of Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Northumberland and Teesside.
Stuart Holliday, Head of Emergency Preparedness for the North East Ambulance Service, said: "The cold makes long standing medical conditions worse especially breathing problems and icy weather conditions can lead to an increase in road traffic collisions, slips, trips and falls. We're still seeing presentations of flu and norovirus at this time of the year.
"We make sure we've got oxygen for example, making sure our fleet of ambulances are ready to face the conditions and we'll work with partners like Mountain Rescue to ensure that we can access patients who may be cut off due to the weather. We maximise the number of staff working in our emergency operation centres.
"If the weather's bad, do you really have to go out? If so, make sure that you're wearing appropriate clothing so you can keep yourself warm with a good jacket and shoes that are going to have a good grip on them, if you're out in icy conditions. This is important even for short journeys like putting the bins out as you'd be surprise how many people fall and struggle to get back up a short distance from their homes.
"Keep food in your cupboards and make sure your medicine cabinet's stocked, just to reduce your need to go out. Check the weather ahead of going out and don't wait. If you need to access healthcare, just give us a call on 111, your GP, or 999 in an emergency.
"If you have to make your journey by car, make sure you've done your winter checks; your tyres, your wipers, your screenwash for example, and consider taking a blanket or even a shovel if you're making a long journey, especially if you're going to rural areas.
"If you're planning on going out walking in the beautiful countryside we've got in the North East, again, just dress appropriately. Have a charged mobile phone with the What3Words app and always let somebody know where you're going and what time you're expected back."