Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is issuing a weather warning for its central southern England distribution area, as the Met Office issues an Amber warning for extreme heat from Friday 12 August through to Monday 15 August.
SSEN has been actively monitoring weather forecasts and is taking precautionary measures should the weather in any way affect its infrastructure. If power supplies are disrupted, SSEN’s operational teams will be ready to restore power to customers affected as quickly as possible, where it is safe to do so.
Additionally, there is an extreme fire risk for this period. If you see a fire near any infrastructure, you should stay clear of both the fire and the infrastructure, and contact the emergency services at the earliest opportunity.
As with any extreme weather event, SSEN is urging people to not approach any damage to its equipment and instead, report it by calling the free-phone emergency 105 number or via the Power Track App. SSEN engineers will attend the site and investigate the issue as soon as possible.
SSEN is also checking in with customers on the highest categories of our Priority Services Register (PSR) to reassure them that measures are in place for any potential interruptions to power and to offer extra support, if needed.
SSEN’s Priority Services Register (PSR) provides extra help and support during a power cut. Customers are eligible for SSEN's free priority services if they:
- Are deaf or hard of hearing
- Have a disability
- Live with children under five
- Are blind or partially sighted
- Have a chronic illness
- Use medical equipment/aids reliant on electricity
- Are over 60
- Temporarily need extra support
To find out more about the PSR, click here or call 0800 294 3259.
For guidance on how to deal with hotter temperatures, please see: Heatwave: how to cope in hot weather - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
The full Met Office forecast and Red Extreme Heat Warning can be found here: UK weather warnings - Met Office
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