We’ve moved to Yellow Alert status in the north of Scotland ahead of Storm Boelo, which is likely to cause disruption over the weekend. 

This heightened alert level reflects the strong likelihood that the storm-force winds on Saturday and Sunday will affect our customers’ power supplies. Over the past few days we’ve been increasing our level of preparedness, and we're ready to respond. 

Need help during Storm Boelo?

Check for power cuts, report network damage, access extra support or find advice on preparing for severe weather.

💨 The weather forecast

Storm-force winds are forecast for much of our north of Scotland network area throughout Saturday and Sunday 

On Saturday, gusts of around 70mph will begin hitting the Western Isles from lunchtime, before subsiding for a few hours. Speeds will pick up once more from 9pm onwards, affecting the Western Isles again and also moving across the West Coast of Scotland. 

On Sunday, the winds will remain continuous through the early hours on the West Coast, where speeds will be reaching up to 75mph. The gusts will hit the North Highlands from 6am onwards, at speeds of up to 83mph. We anticipate the worst of the winds will be from 12pm through to 6pm, particularly in the Highlands and Orkney Islands, but also ongoing across affect the Argyll and the West Coast the Western Isles, and also the northern parts of the North East region. 

The Met Office has now upgraded its own weather warnings; an Amber Weather Warning for Wind is now in place across Scotland from 9pm on Saturday through to 9pm on Sunday evening.  

👷 How we're responding

Our heightened 'Weather Warning' status reflects the potential for Storm Boelo's strong winds and heavy rain to damage parts of our electricity network, potentially causing power cuts for some customers.

Moving to this status means we've activated our well-rehearsed contingency plans, bringing in additional teams to deal with any damage to the network and subsequent faults.

We've also increased the number of people on duty in our Customer Contact Centres, where they'll be ready to answer calls and respond to customer queries on social media throughout the storm.

Ahead of Storm Boelo's arrival, we'll be sending text messages to more than 220,000 of our more vulnerable customers, providing guidance on how to prepare for the severe weather and advice on what to do if their power goes off.

We'll continue to monitor Storm Boelo closely throughout the weekend and issue further updates depending on the forecast.

📞 Help and advice

Stay safe around damaged electricity equipment

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 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 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.

Priority Services

Customers are also eligible for our 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

To find out more about SSEN's Priority Services, visit our website 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 (ssencommunity) for regular updates.

  • Get extra support during a power cut

    Priority Services

    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.
    Learn about Priority Services

  • 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.
    Preparing for a power cut

  • 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.
    Power Track website