Sunderland LIVE: Weather forecast, traffic latest and news updates for the North East

Hi everyone, it's Debra here manning the live blog from 6am until 2pm. I'll be keeping an eye on the region's roads and transport systems, as well as checking the latest Met Office forecast for Sunderland. We'll also bring you all of the latest news updates from your Echo, keeping you in the loop with everything you need to know to help your day run smoothly. Scroll down and refresh for updates.