Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) reported significant damage to its network in northern Scotland after Storm Floris, with an 83mph gust observed on the coast at Wick at 7pm on Monday evening1. In an update published on 5 August 2025, the network said its infrastructure had been "significantly affected across a wide number of areas, particularly in the Highlands, the Moray coast, and Aberdeenshire"1.
As of 7:15am on Tuesday morning, SSEN said it had restored power to 50,000 homes, with work ongoing to restore supplies to the remaining 22,000 properties1. The company described Floris as "an unprecedented summer storm" and said the Wick gust could be a record for that low altitude in August1.
"As of 7:15am on Tuesday morning, we've successfully restored power to 50,000 homes. Work is ongoing this morning to restore supplies to the remaining 22,000 properties."
SSEN said field teams worked for as long as the light permitted on Monday night and were deployed again early on Tuesday, supported by helicopters to assess the network from above1. Expanded teams in its control room and customer contact centre worked through the night to reroute supplies remotely where possible1. The company said that with winds having died down and moved into the North Sea, it had become safer for field teams to reach faults, although strong gusts were still forecast for Tuesday1.
From 8:30am on Tuesday, SSEN organised meal provision in several affected communities, with locations published on its social media pages and at ssen.co.uk/stormsupport1. Meal reimbursements are available for those who have been off supply for more than 12 hours, with details at ssen.co.uk/stormclaim1. SSEN said it would take time to reconnect customers, and asked anyone who sees damage to its equipment to stay back, not touch it, and report it by calling 105 or via its Power Track website1.
Why it matters for households
A power cut of this scale tests a home's ability to keep essentials running. SSEN's figures show 22,000 properties still off supply on Tuesday morning, hours after the storm passed, which is the practical reality of power cuts in Scotland: restoration depends on field teams reaching faults, and that takes time even after winds ease.
SSEN said all its priority services are free, and that registering for its Priority Services Register helps it support customers who find a power cut worrying or difficult1. The register is intended for households that depend on electricity for medical or mobility reasons, and it is the route by which a network can direct extra help during an outage. Details sit with SSEN's networks, storms and priority services information.
For a household, the storm also illustrates the difference between the national grid and the local distribution network. Generation and transmission may be unaffected while the low-voltage network serving a street or glen is damaged, which is the picture set out in energy supply in Scotland. Backup power, whether a small battery, a generator or a charged power bank, covers the gap only for as long as its own capacity lasts.
What happens next
SSEN said work was ongoing on Tuesday morning to restore the remaining 22,000 properties, and that it would monitor the forecast closely with strong gusts still expected that day1. Meal provision locations and opening times were subject to change1. No date has been reported for full restoration.
Sources1 cited
- Update on our response to Storm Floris - SSEN, ssen.co.uk