THE skies across Tynedale are lingering eerily as Storm Ophelia heads towards the district.

The tail end of Hurricane Ophelia is expected to hit the North-East later today.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the region and has warned road, rail, air and ferry services could be affected.

And as the storm makes its way towards the district it has brought with it ominous black clouds.

People have noticed the low cloud and in some cases an orange or yellow tint to the sky, which the Met Office has said is being caused by dust which has been brought over from Africa and southern Europe.

Mobile phone networks and power could even cut out when the storm hits the region later today, with wind speeds expected to pick up from around 6pm this evening.

It is expected to continue to be very windy overnight, with gales and strong gusts likely, and the risk of disruption.

A Met Office spokesman said: "Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage. Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs could happen, perhaps leading to injuries and danger to life from flying debris."

Gusts could reach up to 60mph with temperatures expected to exceed 20C due to the storm, which developed southwest of the Azores.

A separate yellow wind warning has been issued for a period extending until 3pm on Tuesday for Northern Ireland, northern England and the southern half of Scotland.