Nearly 60,000 Scots have been left without power after Storm Éowyn ravaged the country with 100mph winds.
At 8pm on January 24 – hours after the Red weather alert was lifted – Scottish Power confirmed their engineers are still working to restore power to 57,000 of customers as the storm brought some of the strongest winds in decades,
The storm battered the country throughout Friday with 146,000 properties losing power throughout Friday of which 89,000 have been restored. The exceptionally strong winds during the rare Red weather event hampered efforts to assess damage and restore power as falling debris and downed trees affected powerlines.
Conditions throughout the majority of the day have remained difficult with an amber weather warning now in place and further winds of up to 80mph expected over the course of the night on the network. Multiple repair teams were mobilised across SP Energy Networks’ area and are continuing working to restore customers where possible.
Aileen Rourke, SP Energy Networks Scotland Distribution Director, said: “Winds of over 100mph swept across the region throughout the course of today causing damage to the electricity network. During these severe winds it has not always been safe for us to work to restore power, but wherever possible our engineers have done what they can, both in the field and in the control room, to get power back on.
“Whilst the red weather warning has now lifted the wind speeds are still expected to remain high throughout the course of the night. We have reached out to our customers expected to be without power overnight to offer them alternative accommodation and access to hot food and drink.”
She continued: “In some areas it could take a few days to restore supplies due to the severity of the damage, but our teams are working to assess the repairs needed and support customers whilst we work to get the lights back on.
“We continue to work closely with the Scottish Government, local authorities and other services and are continuing to proactively contact vulnerable customers to offer support.
“For those currently without power, please be certain we are doing everything we can to get you back on supply as soon as we can. If you’re experiencing a power outage, please report it to us via our website in the first instance or by calling the free, national emergency helpline 105.”
You can find more information on what to do in the event of a power emergency here.
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