Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) declared Yellow Alert status in the north of Scotland on 20 December 2024, ahead of storm-force winds forecast for the weekend1. The alert follows the company's move to Weather Warning status on 19 December2.
SSEN's forecast shows gusts of between 75 and 85mph on Saturday across the west coast, the north of Scotland, and Orkney and Shetland, peaking in the late afternoon and early evening1. On Sunday, gusts of up to 60mph are forecast across parts of Aberdeenshire, with peaks of around 70mph across Argyll and the Highlands1. The earlier Weather Warning notice gave Saturday gusts of 75 to 80mph on the west coast and north of Scotland, peaking in the late afternoon, and Sunday gusts of up to 65mph across the north of Scotland2. The Met Office has issued its own wind warnings for the weekend1.
The network operator said it has deployed staff to areas where winds look more likely to damage the network, and that expanded teams in its customer contact centres are ready to take calls1. It said it has already contacted nearly 60,000 people on its Priority Services Register (PSR) ahead of the weekend to offer help and advice1. Under the earlier Weather Warning status, SSEN said it was activating contingency plans and bringing in additional teams to deal with network damage and subsequent faults2.
"We're now at Yellow Alert in the north of Scotland ahead of storm-force winds forecast for the weekend."
Andy Smith, SSEN's Director of Customer Operations in the north of Scotland, said the company had prepared a heightened level of response, with additional teams in depots, the control room and the customer contact centre, and that control room teams would be ready to reconfigure the network to restore customers1.
SSEN lists the following groups as eligible for its Priority Services Register1:
| Eligible for the PSR |
|---|
| Deaf or hard of hearing |
| Have a disability |
| Live with children under five |
| Blind or partially-sighted |
| Have a chronic illness |
| Use medical equipment or aids reliant on electricity |
| Over 60 |
SSEN states that all its priority services are free1. Customers can register by calling 0800 294 32591.
Why it matters for households
A Yellow Alert is a statement about the network's own readiness, not a forecast that any particular home will lose supply. What it signals is that SSEN expects wind speeds capable of damaging overhead lines and other equipment in the north of Scotland, and that faults, if they occur, may take longer to reach and repair in exposed areas1. For a household, the practical exposure is the same as in any storm: heating controls, refrigeration, broadband, phone charging and any medical equipment that runs on mains electricity all depend on a supply that may be interrupted1.
The PSR exists for households where an outage carries extra risk. SSEN's list covers people 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 electricity-reliant medical equipment, or are over 601. Being on the register means the network operator contacts a household directly before and during disruption, which is the difference between finding out from a map and being told1. SSEN says it had reached nearly 60,000 people on the register before this weekend's winds arrived1.
For homes that are not on the register, the information route is SSEN's Power Track map, which shows faults in progress, planned interruptions and estimated restoration times, and the 105 emergency power cut number for reporting loss of supply or damage to the network1. Power Track also lists the nearest electric vehicle charge point for anyone who needs to charge during a cut1. SSEN advises people who see damage to its equipment to stay back, not touch it, and report it1.
What happens next
SSEN said it will continue to monitor its own forecasts and those from the Met Office and will issue further updates depending on the forecast1. No restoration times or specific areas of expected fault have been reported.