Energy firms scramble to restore power after Storm Eunice batters Britain
Energy firms are scrambling to restore power to over 300,000 homes after Storm Eunice swept across the country yesterday, killing at least four people and inflicting severe damage to property.
High winds disrupted power lines and cut off swathes of England and Wales, with pressure now mounting on energy firms to restore power.
UK Power Networks said more than 34,000 customers across the east of England and 58,000 in the southeast remained cut off as of this morning, while 112,000 properties without power in the southwest, south Wales and the Midlands on Friday night.
SSEN said more than 120,000 without power in the south, and Northern Powergrid said 6,000 remained cut off.
Some homeowners have been warned by energy providers that they will be without power until as late as midnight tonight, but energy firms have warned that timelines could extend as poor weather conditions hamper repair efforts.
Fears are now growing that homes in rural areas of England and Wales could be cut off for days, following the failures to restore power to rural areas after Storm Arwen in November.
At least four people were killed as severe winds battered Britain.
A London woman in her 30s died in Highgate, North London, after a tree fell on a car yesterday. The driver, a man in his 30s, has also been taken to hospital but his condition is not believed to be life threatening.
Two men in South London are also understood to be in hospital after being struck by debris in the storm.
Large parts of the roof of London’s O2 arena roof were ripped off in the winds, as trees and obstructions disrupted travel services across the capital.
More than 400 flights were cancelled or diverted while London City Airport was closed for most of the day. Some short haul flights headed for the capital were either diverted to Manchester, Newcastle, Paris or Zurich or turned around and sent back to their departure airport.
The Met Office’s “red” weather warnings over the winds have now elapsed but train travel disruptions are set to continue as emergency services clear debris and obstructions from tracks.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan praised emergency services for their response to the storm.
“I’d like to pay tribute to all those in the emergency services who have been working tirelessly to keep us safe and urge all Londoners to remain cautious and avoid taking risks as this storm passes,” he said.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the woman who tragically lost her life and the man who was seriously injured in Highgate this afternoon.”
Ministers looked to reassure the public that government was working to restore power as quickly as possible and it had learned the lessons of Storm Arwen last year.
Home Office minister, Damian Hinds told Sky News: “Over the longer term, a lot of learning has been done from Storm Arwen, particularly on welfare issues, staying in touch with people, staying in touch with customers for the [power] networks.”