Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has moved to Yellow Alert in response to continued unsettled and windy weather conditions in central southern England.
A prolonged period of strong winds throughout Tuesday (25th August), are expected to continue until Wednesday (26th August).
Current forecasts show heavy winds continuing to build throughout Tuesday night with inland and coastal wind speeds in excess of 55mph. The peak winds are expected to continue into Wednesday before easing before 6 AM.
SSEN has enacted its well-established resilience plans, increasing standby resources in anticipation of potential damage to the network, and has moved teams and equipment to the impacted areas.
In advance of the weather arriving customers on SSEN's Priority Services Register have been proactively contacted by text to inform them of the potential for disruption and to offer extra assistance where required. Customers in high PSR categories, including those who are medically dependent, have received further contact. SSEN's regional teams are also liaising with local resilience partners to help coordinate efforts to prepare for potential supply interruptions.
Eliane Algaard SSEN's Director of Customer Operations, said: "We've been tracking this weather front for several days now and as a result have increased the amount of engineers and operational staff across our central southern England network area, ensuring we have people in place to safely restore power as quickly as possible."
"We'll continue to monitor the situation and I would encourage anyone concerned about the potential disruption to supplies, particularly those who may need additional support during a power cut, to call us on 105."
Customers are also being encouraged to be prepared for the possibility of disruption to power supplies by:
- Saving the free-to-dial 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
Customers can register for SSEN's Priority Services Register (PSR) if they require extra assistance. 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
- Have a disability
- 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.