Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) moved to its "Weather Warning" level of preparedness for the north of Scotland on 9 January 2026, ahead of high winds, continued low temperatures and further snowfall forecast for Sunday and Monday1. The network operator said the status is the first of its levels of heightened preparedness1.
The Met Office forecasts behind the move include Yellow Weather Warnings for snow and ice for most of the period through to Sunday afternoon, covering most of mainland Scotland1. SSEN said the forecast drop in temperatures means accumulated snow of the past week is likely to harden and freeze, affecting travelling conditions and the ability to clear paths to where access may be needed if further faults occur1. Wind gusts of up to 65mph are forecast widely across the north of Scotland on Sunday and Monday, which combined with likely fresh snow and sleet showers could result in "line icing", affecting the operation of overhead power lines for a time1.
"We're returning to our heightened 'Weather Warning' level of preparedness in the north of Scotland ahead of high winds, continued low temperatures and further snowfall on Sunday and Monday."
Moving to the status means additional engineers are being placed in the right locations ready to respond to network damage and faults, and contact centre teams will be bolstered on Sunday and Monday to answer queries by telephone and social media1. SSEN said it is not expecting many additional faults from Sunday and Monday's weather, but that the drop in temperatures and current travel conditions mean it will take longer to travel to fault locations and safely make repairs, and the extra engineering teams will mitigate this1.
SSEN's Priority Services are free and open to 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 or aids reliant on electricity, or are over 601. The network can be contacted about priority services on 0800 294 3259, and loss of supply or damage to the network reported on 1051. Faults can be tracked on SSEN's Power Track map, which also shows planned interruptions and the nearest EV charge point for electric vehicle charging during a power cut1.
Why it matters for households
A "Weather Warning" status does not mean supplies are expected to fail widely. It means the operator has pre-positioned crews and staff because the conditions make faults slower to reach and repair, so any interruption could last longer than usual1. For a household, the practical exposure is the same as in any winter storm: heating, lighting, cooking, broadband and any electrically powered medical equipment depend on a supply that overhead lines in the north of Scotland can lose temporarily to wind, snow and line icing1. Households on the priority services register are flagged to the network in advance, which is the mechanism by which extra help during an outage is arranged1. The same weather is affecting SP Energy Networks territory elsewhere in Scotland, and preparedness arrangements differ by operator across the nations of the UK.
What happens next
The forecast period runs through Sunday and Monday, with Yellow Weather Warnings for snow and ice in place for most of the period through to Sunday afternoon1. SSEN has not reported any further preparedness steps beyond the additional engineers and contact centre staffing1.