83mph gust recorded at Wick during Storm Floris

An 83mph gust was observed on the coast at Wick at 7pm on Monday evening during Storm Floris, the electricity network operator SSEN reported on Tuesday 5 August. SSEN said the reading could be a record for that low altitude in August and that it indicated how damaging the sustained storm-force winds had been¹.

SSEN said its network in the north of Scotland had been significantly affected across a wide number of areas, particularly in the Highlands, the Moray coast, and Aberdeenshire¹. As of 7:15am on Tuesday morning it had restored power to 50,000 homes, with work ongoing to restore supplies to the remaining 22,000 properties¹. The operator said winds had died down and moved into the North Sea, making it safer for field teams to reach faults, although strong gusts were still forecast for Tuesday and the forecast was being monitored closely¹. Teams worked for as long as the light permitted on Monday night and were deployed again early on Tuesday with helicopter support to assess the network from above, while expanded control room and customer contact centre teams worked through the night¹.

SSEN said that from 8:30am on Tuesday it had organised meal provision in several affected communities, with locations and opening times posted on its Facebook and X pages and at ssen.co.uk/stormsupport, subject to change. Meal reimbursements are also available for customers who have been off supply for more than 12 hours, with details at ssen.co.uk/stormclaim¹. The operator 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. It encouraged customers to save the emergency power cut number 105 and to follow its community accounts for updates¹.

Why it matters for households

Households in the Highlands, the Moray coast and Aberdeenshire are the areas SSEN names as particularly affected, and around 22,000 properties remained without supply as of 7:15am on Tuesday¹. SSEN states that all its priority services are free, and its Priority Services Register offers extra help during a power cut for those who find one worrying or difficult¹. The operator points customers to its Power Track map to track faults in their area, report damage to the network, follow planned interruptions and find the nearest EV charge point if an electric vehicle needs charging during a power cut¹. SSEN advises people who see damage to its equipment to stay back, not touch it and report it on 105 or through Power Track¹. For coastal conditions during gales and high waves, see Staying Safe on the Coast in Gales and High Waves; for driving in the conditions, see How to Drive Safely in Strong Winds; and for wider storm guidance, the storms and snow hub.

What happens next

SSEN said it would continue restoring supplies as safely and quickly as it could, but that it would take time, and that strong gusts were still forecast for Tuesday with the forecast being monitored closely¹. No further dates for restoration have been reported.