Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution is moving to Weather Warning status in preparation for a period of unsettled weather forecast to affect the north of Scotland from the early hours of Tuesday next week.
SSEN’s current weather model shows a low-pressure system bringing severe gales to the Western Isles from around midnight on Monday night. As the front tracks to the east, strong winds are forecast to impact the North West Highlands, southern Argyll, Skye, Caithness, the Black Isle, Moray, Aberdeenshire, Orkney and Shetland, bringing wind gusts of over 70mph in exposed and coastal areas and reaching 50-70mph inland.
In preparation, we have enacted our well-established resilience plans, and are increasing and moving additional resources to key locations in anticipation of any potential damage to the electricity network.
Our dedicated customer service teams are proactively contacting customers on our Priority Services Register to offer additional advice and support, with around 30,000 customers across Orkney, Dingwall, Wick, Inverness, Skye, Western Isles, Argyll & West Highland and Oban already contacted.
We’ll continue to monitor weather forecasts and provide updates if the situation changes.
Advice for customers
We are urging people not to approach any damaged equipment and instead, to report it by calling 105 or via our Power Track App 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 use if your power goes off, or if you see any damage to the electricity network
- Downloading SSEN’s Power Track app to give you details of power cuts and restoration times. You can also report power cuts and network damage through the Power Track app
- Going to SSEN’s website where there is a wealth of advice and information on how to prepare for a possible loss of power
- Following SSEN on Facebookand Twitter for regular updates
Priority Services Register
SSEN’s Priority Services Register (PSR) provides extra help and support during a power cut. Customers are eligible for our 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.
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