Freezing temperatures make it the coldest night of the year so far in South Tyneside

A lone dog walker braves freezing Cleadon Hills this morning after temperatures dropped to an overnight low of -6C.

Temperatures plummeted as low as -6°C in South Shields overnight, and it is expected to remain extremely cold tomorrow and into the weekend.

Met Office forecasters say today will be cold, but mainly dry, with long sunny spells after early freezing fog patches have cleared.

However, the odd wintry shower can't be ruled out near the coast, especially later. The maximum temperature will be 2°C.

It will be increasingly cloudy overnight, with coastal wintry showers becoming more frequent and spreading further inland as a northeast breeze picks up.

Away from the coast there will be a widespread frost, and it will again be a cold night, with temperatures dropping to as low as -3°C.

Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice remain in place for the North East as a whole from 6pm tonight until around noon tomorrow.

Cleadon Hills looking towards Sunderland was a wintry wonderland this morning as temperatures fell as low as -6C.

Friday will be rather cloudy, with further wintry showers, especially in the east. It will feel very cold in the strengthening northeast breeze, with a maximum temperature of 3°C.

Saturday will be cold, with further wintry showers in the east, while Sunday is expected to be increasingly cloudy after a widespread overnight frost, with rain or snow likely by evening, which should clear on Monday.