SSEN responds to initial impact of Storm Caroline, 12pm update

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) remains on Yellow Alert as it responds to the initial impact of Storm Caroline.

As forecast, gale-force winds reached the Western Isles from the early hours of this morning, with wind gusts in excess of 85mph recorded. SSEN's network has stood up well to the initial impact and power has been safely restored to over 3,900 customers, mainly on the Western Isles and north-west Highlands, with around 780 homes currently without power as of 12pm today.

The full impact of Storm Caroline has not yet been felt across much of SSEN's network region and it is expected there will be further faults throughout the day as the weather front continues to track across the north Highlands, into the Moray Firth and up to Orkney. Winds are expected to peak between midday and 6pm this evening with gusts of 70 -95mph forecast. Shetland is expected to feel the full force of Storm Caroline from midnight tonight through to lunchtime on Friday.

With snow and falling temperatures forecast for Friday, there is also a risk of line icing, where snow accumulates and freezes on the overhead electricity network, which can result in damage due to the sheer weight of accumulated snow and ice. Infrequent lightning also remains a risk.

SSEN has been tracking the weather event for a number of days in preparation for Storm Caroline and has enacted its well-established resilience plans. This includes increasing standby resources and moving people and equipment to areas in anticipation of potential damage.:

  • Over 850 frontline staff and support teams have been deployed to locations expected to be impacted by Storm Caroline, including the Scottish islands, to respond promptly to damage, where it is safe to do so;
  • 83 mobile generation units have been deployed across SSEN's network to assist with efforts to restore power;
  • Catering and welfare vans have also been strategically located across SSEN's network to offer support to customers who experience a loss of supply;
  • Two helicopters are on standby to support efforts to respond to damage to SSEN's network, when it is safe to fly;
  • All local resilience partners have been warned and informed, with key partners such as local authorities, the British Red Cross and the Salvation Army on hand to help support efforts; and
  • SSEN's Customer Services team has proactively contacted over 75,000 of its Priority Services Register customers to pre-warn them of the potential impact of Storm Caroline and to offer extra support where required.

SSEN is asking its customers to be prepared for the possibility of disruption to supplies and continues to liaise with local resilience partners to help coordinate efforts and ensure that everyone is prepared.

SSEN's Director of Customer Operations, Dale Cargill, said:

"Our network has stood up well to the initial impact of Storm Caroline but with the winds forecast to peak throughout this afternoon we remain on high alert and I would like to reassure our customers that we are well prepared and resourced to respond promptly to any damage to our network, where it is safe to do so.

"If any of our customers do experience a power cut, or have any concerns about a vulnerable family member or community member, I would encourage them to please call us on the national power cut emergency number, 105."

SSEN is also encouraging its customers not to approach any damage to its equipment and instead, report it to SSEN by calling 105 and engineers will investigate as soon as possible.

NOTES:

Customers are encouraged to be prepared in the event of possible disruption to power supplies, by:

  • Saving the new 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
  • 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 Facebook and Twitter for regular updates

In the event of an interruption in power supplies, SSEN's customer service team will make outbound calls to customers on our Priority Service Register (PSR) to offer extra assistance, where required. People can qualify for the PSR if they:

  • Are dependent on electricity for home medical care
  • Have a chronic illness or short term medical condition
  • Are disabled
  • Have special communication needs
  • Have children under the age of five
  • Are over the age of 60

To find out more about the PSR, click here or call 0800 294 3259.