Here are the stories making the headlines in the North-east and across the country this morning.
Storm Isha: Winds batter North-east overnight
The North and North-east is still feeling the effects of Storm Isha this morning, with a Met Office yellow warning still being in place for the region until 12pm on Wednesday.
A tornado alert was issued for most of Scotland, including the Highlands and some parts of Aberdeenshire, last night.
The “danger to life” amber warning for wind, which was in place from 6pm last night ended at 6am today.
Late last night, the Met Office’s red alert for wind, which covered parts of the Highlands, Aberdeenshire and Moray, was only the fifth one ever to be put out.
The previous warnings took place in December 2011, January 2012, January 2016 and November 2021 respectively.
House prices and economy to get boost from easing inflation
Victory in the fight over inflation will boost economic growth and house prices this year, according to the EY Item Club, leaving families feeling better off.
UK GDP will grow by 0.9pc in 2024, the economic forecaster predicted, faster than the 0.7pc growth it had previously anticipated.
The housing market should stay roughly stable across the year, the EY Item Club predicted, which represents an upgrade from its previous prediction that prices would drop 4pc this year.
The City forecaster upgraded its outlook after recent falls in inflation. Though the headline rate rose for the first time in ten months in December, EY Item Club said inflation is still set to drop to the Bank of England’s 2pc target by May. This will allow officials to cut interest rates from their current level of 5.25pc to 4pc by the end of the year.
Valaris 121: Investigation into missing North Sea rig worker could take years
Tributes have been paid on the first anniversary of a worker going missing from a North Sea oil rig, 100 miles off Aberdeen, but no report has yet been filed with prosecutors.
Jason Thomas went missing from the Valaris 121 on the night of Sunday, January 22, 2023 while the rig was on tow to Dundee.
The Health and Safety Executive, which is leading the investigation, later found a hole in the decking of the rig, which Mr Thomas is thought to have fallen through.
However, 12 months on, a report has not yet been submitted to the procurator fiscal which would precede any prosecution or Fatal Accident Inquiry.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suspends presidential campaign
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis - once tipped as Donald Trump's biggest challenger for the Republican presidential nomination - has suspended his campaign.
It comes after Mr DeSantis only narrowly beat his nearest rival, Nikki Haley, to second place in the Republican Party's Iowa caucuses, far behind Mr Trump, who scored a record-breaking victory.
Mr DeSantis announced his decision in a video posted on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, in which he endorsed Mr Trump for president.
He said, following the result and "deliberation" with his campaign team, that he could no longer see a "clear path to victory" in the Republican race.