Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution is moving to its Yellow Alert operational status for the north of Scotland ahead of very strong winds forecast for Wednesday 31 January. This is an upgrade to its warning level and reflects the expected impact on the electricity network during this period of severe weather.
💨 The weather forecast
SSEN’s latest weather model shows storm-force winds forecast across the Western Isles, Skye, Caithness, Sutherland, Orkney, Shetland, Moray, and Aberdeenshire. These areas will see winds of 65-75mph, with gusts of up to 85mph at times. The wind will be strong across the north of Scotland network area, with winds of up to 55mph. The winds will be accompanied by heavy rain, particularly in the west.
While winds will ease later on Wednesday in mainland Scotland, it will remain stormy on the Northern Isles overnight tomorrow and into Thursday.
The Met Office has issued its own weather warnings for this period of severe weather; its latest updates can be found here.
👷 How SSEN is responding
We have already activated our well-rehearsed severe weather plans, bringing in extra teams to deal with any network faults and damage these high winds may cause. We’re relocating teams to areas expected to be affected. We’ve also increased the number of people available to take customers’ calls and queries. Text messages offering advice and support are being sent to almost 150,000 customers who are signed up to our Priority Service Register, while the most vulnerable customers who are unable to receive text messages are being telephoned.
We’ll continue to watch this period of severe weather closely as it develops and will issue further updates depending on the forecast.
📞 Help and advice
If you see any damage to our equipment, please stay back, don’t touch it and instead report it to us directly by calling 105, or via our Power Track website, and our engineers will investigate as soon as possible.
You can help prepare 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
And you could be eligible for extra help from our Priority Services Register (PSR) if you or a member of your household...
- Are deaf or hard of hearing
- Have a disability
- Is a child 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.