Blizzards cause major power cuts

Mar 23 2013

Engineers are attempting to restore power to thousands of homes after heavy snow caused widespread problems.

More than 14,000 properties suffered power cuts in Dumfries and Galloway, in Argyll and on the Isle of Arran on Friday as blizzards swept large parts of the country.

Roads were closed and schools shut in the extreme weather conditions expected to continue in some regions.

ScottishPower said 6,000 homes in the south-west remained without power as engineers struggled to reach Wigtownshire, Portpatrick and Newton Stewart because of blocked routes. A spokesman said last night: "Due to blocked roads and continuing poor weather we will have customers off supply overnight. Anyone requiring advice should contact the ScottishPower Emergency Helpline on 0845 272 7999. We have mobilised even more engineers to be available first thing in the morning and, depending on road conditions, we hope to reach our customers that were not possible today."

The harsh weather looked set to continue into the weekend however.

The Met Office has amber "be prepared" warnings in place for the south-west and the Lothian and Borders area until midnight on Sunday. The Highlands, Western Isles, Grampian, Strathclyde, Tayside, Fife and central Scotland areas are on yellow "be aware" alerts.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said Scotland's 130-strong fleet of gritting and road clearing vehicles would be working "flat out" throughout the weekend. He urged drivers to heed police advice and plan any journeys in advance.

The extreme weather conditions prompted a meeting of the Scottish Government's Resilience Room on Friday night. Mr Brown said: "Power companies are working closely with local authorities to identify vulnerable customers and are proactively phoning customers with information on the situation and offering advice."

More than 100 schools were closed in Dumfries and Galloway on friday and 35 in Aberdeenshire following the heavy snow. Ten were shut in Argyll and Bute and 16 across Ayrshire.

The AA said it was called out to around 1,200 breakdowns across Scotland, compared to around 900-950 on a regular Friday.