Teams from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) are preparing to respond to heavy rain which has been forecast for central southern England this evening.
The current SSEN weather model shows a weather front moving in from the north west and south east later this afternoon and overnight. As there is the possibility of flooding, surface water and some interruptions to power supplies, SSEN is ensuring that preparations and resources are in place to deal with any issues that may affect its network.
Rain is expected to clear by mid-morning on Wednesday, with some areas seeing as much as 50 - 55mm of rain over a twelve hour period.
SSEN's Director of Customer Operations, Craig Gilroy, said: "It's unusual to see such heavy rainfall at this time of year, but we are well prepared with frontline and support staff on standby to handle any damage to our network and to get power restored to our customers as quickly and safely as possible."
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 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 a young baby or receive a state pension.
To find out more about the PSR, click here or call 0800 294 3259.