Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution is moving to Yellow Alert status ahead of a period of high winds forecast to move across northern Scotland from the early hours of Thursday morning.
SSEN’s current weather model shows a low-pressure system moving through the North Sea between Shetland and Iceland, which will bring strong winds across northern Scotland from midnight on Thursday morning.
Gusts of up to 75 mph are possible in the Northern and Western Isles in the early hours of Thursday. The north west, Caithness and the Argyll coast will see winds reach 65mph in places. The strongest winds are forecast at 6am where much of Scotland is expected to see gusts of 60-70 mph.
The Met Office has a yellow weather warning in place for Thursday. More details can be found here.
SSEN has been monitoring this weather system for several days, and is now activating its well-rehearsed contingency plans, bringing in additional teams to deal with any damage to the network and subsequent faults, which may impact customers’ power supplies.
Members of SSEN’s Customer Service team are currently telephoning the most vulnerable customers to provide tailored advice and to answer any questions, and they have already proactively contacted nearly 200,000 vulnerable customers by text message.
With the potential for gale-force winds to impact the network, SSEN is reminding customers that if they come across any damaged equipment, not to touch it and instead report it to us directly by calling 105, or via our Power Track website, and engineers will investigate as soon as possible.
Customers are also being encouraged to be prepared for the possibility of disruption to supplies by:
- Saving the emergency power cut number - '105' - to your phone to report any loss of supply or damage to the electricity network
- Visiting our Power Track Website to give you details of power cuts and restoration times. You can also report power cuts and network damage through Power Track.
- Visiting the "Preparing for a power cut" section on our website, where there is a wealth of advice and information, or to chat live to one of our advisors via the Webchat service
Customers are also eligible for our Priority Services Register (PSR) 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.
To find out more about the PSR, click here or call 0800 294 3259.
How to get prepared
In preparation for any potential power cuts, we are encouraging our customers to save the emergency power cut number 105 and to follow us on Facebook and Twitter (ssencommunity) for regular updates.
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Register for extra support during a power cut
Priority Services Register
We all rely on electricity day to day for various things, but for some, a power cut can be worrying or difficult. That’s why we offer extra help and support during a power cut. Registering for our Priority Services helps us to help you when you need it most. All our priority services are free. -
View our tips and advice to help you during a power cut
Preparing for a power cut
With bad weather on the way, we've put together some helpful tips and advice to help you during a power cut. You can also download our useful resources to share with your family and neighbours. -
Report a power cut or damage to our network through our map
Power Track
You can stay updated and track the progress of any faults in your area on our Power Track map or report damage to our network. You can also follow the progress of planned interruptions as well as find the nearest EV charge point if you have an electric vehicle that needs charging during a power cut.