Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution is maintaining its yellow alert status in the north of Scotland ahead of Storm Jocelyn, which is forecast to bring strong winds to its network area overnight1. The alert was held on 23 January 2024, the day after Storm Isha caused widespread damage to the network1.
SSEN said gusts could peak at 75mph at around 1am on Wednesday morning, with very strong winds widespread across its network area by around 5am1. The storm was due to arrive in the network area at around 6pm on the evening of 23 January, bringing the strongest winds in the early hours of Wednesday1. By 9am the worst of the winds will have passed, SSEN said, but disruption from trees and debris contacting overhead lines is expected, with teams on the ground at first light to inspect and repair damage1.
As of 12 noon on 23 January, supplies had been restored to more than 37,000 customers, and work to reconnect the 370 remaining properties was continuing, with the expectation that everyone who lost power due to Storm Isha would be reconnected by the end of that day1. SSEN's storm response remained mobilised, with extra teams from its own resources and contract partners rested, reinforced and redeployed, control room teams bolstered, and more contact centre staff answering calls1.
Andy Smith, Operations Director at SSEN Distribution, said:
"Other than reconnecting these last customers from Isha, our teams' focus today is to ensure we are fully prepared for Storm Jocelyn that is due to arrive in our network area at around 6pm this evening and bring the strongest winds in the early hours of Wednesday morning."
Under SSEN's support package, customers without power for more than 12 hours are entitled to £30 per person for every day without power, to cover the cost of food and drink, with receipts kept and costs claimed back1. Customers on SSEN's Priority Service Register can claim reasonable costs for alternative accommodation if they are expected to be without power for over 24 hours, with help booking accommodation if needed; if a power cut is estimated to last beyond 48 hours, all customers can benefit from this support1.
| Storm | Warning level and area | Forecast gusts |
|---|---|---|
| Isha, 21 to 22 January | Yellow Alert, central southern England | 60 to 65mph between 2100 Sunday and 0300 Monday2 |
| Isha, 21 to 22 January | Yellow Alert, north of Scotland | 70 to 80mph in the Western Isles, Caithness, north-west Highlands, Orkney and the west coast down to Fort William and Mull around 3am Monday; 65mph widespread3 |
| Jocelyn, 23 to 24 January | Yellow Alert maintained, north of Scotland | Peak of 75mph around 1am Wednesday1 |
Why it matters for households
A yellow alert is a warning of likely disruption rather than a guarantee of lost supply, but the sequence of two named storms within days means parts of the north of Scotland face a second round of potential faults on overhead lines before the first has been fully cleared1. For a household, the practical effect of a storm-related cut is the loss of lighting, heating controls, refrigeration and any mains-powered medical equipment for as long as the fault lasts, which is why SSEN's Priority Services Register exists for customers who 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 reliant on electricity, or are over 601. SSEN states that all its priority services are free1.
The payment terms set out by SSEN give a household a route to recover some costs after a long cut, and the accommodation support threshold of 24 hours for registered customers, or 48 hours for all customers, marks the point at which the network operator expects a cut to become materially disruptive to daily life1. Wider context on how supplies are arranged north of the border is set out in Energy Supply in Scotland, and on what happens during an outage in Power Cuts in Scotland.
What happens next
SSEN said its teams would respond overnight and into Wednesday as required, with inspections and repairs beginning at first light after the worst of the winds had passed by 9am1. Customers can track faults and restoration times on SSEN's Power Track map, which also lists the nearest EV charge point for electric vehicle owners needing to charge during a power cut1. Damage to network equipment should be reported on 105, and SSEN advises staying back and not touching damaged equipment1. No further alert level changes beyond the maintained yellow alert had been reported at the time of the update1.