Work to restore power to thousands as Storm Floris moves on from Scotland

Independent

05-08-2025

Engineers are working to restore power to around 22,000 properties in the north and north-east of Scotland on Tuesday morning after Storm Floris hit the country with high winds.
Work is also under way to clear trees from several railway lines which were blocked by the storm.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said it had restored power to 50,000 properties since the onset of the high winds.
The company said: 'Now the winds have died down and moved into the North Sea, it's become safer for our field teams to get to faults on the network, although strong gusts are still forecast for today and we'll be monitoring the forecast closely.
'Our teams worked for as long as the light permitted last night and were deployed again early this morning, with the support of helicopters to assess the network from above.
'This has been a particularly damaging storm and we'll be working hard to reconnect customers as safely and quickly as we can – but it will take time.'
The company, which is the network operator for northern Scotland, said it had organised meal provision in some of the affected communities.
On Tuesday morning, Network Rail said it had reopened 30 out of 34 routes in Scotland.
It said: 'We've dealt with hundreds of fallen trees overnight, with our response and maintenance working in teams to cover as much ground as possible.
'Our control-room team continue to co-ordinate the response on the lines which remain closed.'
ScotRail said some routes in the north are still facing disruption.
On Monday night, the Scottish Government's resilience room held an emergency meeting to help decide an appropriate response to the storm, which has also led to delays in exam results being delivered to pupils in some island communities.
Ministers including Angela Constance were joined by representatives from the Met Office, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, Sepa and transport and utilities companies.
Trunk road companies are continuing to remove fallen trees and debris from roads.
The storm left debris hanging from a gantry over the Kingston Bridge in central Glasgow on Monday.
The Government said there have been 119 incidents on the rail network caused by Storm Floris, including 75 tree-related ones.
With winds of up to 90mph in some parts of the country, a significant clear-up job will be required to inspect lines and carry out repair work before it is safe to restore a full service.
More wet and windy weather is forecast for late on Wednesday and Thursday, but no Met Office weather warnings are in place for Tuesday.
ScotRail is urging customers to check their journey via the app, website or JourneyCheck before they travel.
On X, Network Rail said it has 'worked closely with all train operators' to co-ordinate the railway's response to the storm.
The railway operator said: 'We've been working around the clock to keep services moving today.
'Our teams will continue inspecting routes for #StormFloris damage overnight, but this will continue into Tuesday morning.'
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Mike Silverstone said: 'While the system later this week won't carry as many impacts as Storm Floris, a further period of unseasonable wet and windy weather is on the way late on Wednesday and into Thursday for those in north-western parts of the UK.
'An area of low pressure from the west will bring some strong winds, especially for those in western parts of Scotland.
'Gusts over 50mph are possible for a time. Some heavy rain will also accompany the strong winds, with up to 30mm possible.'