Met Office Amber Warning for wind comes into force for western Scotland

The Met Office Amber Warning for wind comes into force at 9am on Sunday 20 October for the Western Isles, the West Coast, Islay, Skye and parts of Argyll, according to SSEN Distribution, which moved to Yellow Alert status in the north of Scotland ahead of Storm Ashley on 19 October¹. The warning covers gale force winds on Sunday 20 and Monday 21 October¹.

SSEN's weather model forecasts very high winds across much of its north of Scotland network area from the early hours of Sunday into Monday afternoon¹. The west coast of mainland Scotland from Kintyre to Skye, Skye and the Western Isles can expect winds of around 50mph from around 6am, with gusts of 70mph across Sutherland, the Western Isles and Skye possible later in the afternoon¹. Gusts of 60-65mph are forecast across much of the north of Scotland, with the potential for gusts of up to 60mph across Perthshire, Aberdeenshire and the Moray coast, and gusts of 60-65mph affecting Orkney and Shetland later on Sunday and into Monday¹. A Met Office Yellow Warning for wind remains for the whole of Scotland from 3am on Sunday¹.

SSEN said it was activating well-rehearsed plans, with teams in place to deal with network faults and to fix any damage, and that its customer contact centre teams were fully prepared to take calls¹. It said it had been telephoning its most vulnerable customers ahead of the storm and had already sent out nearly 40,000 text messages to other people listed on its Priority Services Register¹.

Why it matters for households

The Amber Warning applies from 9am on Sunday to the Western Isles, the West Coast, Islay, Skye and parts of Argyll, while the Yellow Warning covers the whole of Scotland from 3am on Sunday¹. SSEN said the very high winds forecast for much of the north of Scotland network area from the early hours of Sunday into Monday afternoon could disrupt electricity supplies, and it encouraged customers to be prepared for that possibility¹. Its advice includes saving the emergency power cut number, 105, to report any loss of supply or damage to the electricity network, and using its Power Track website for details of power cuts and restoration times and to report power cuts and network damage¹. SSEN asked anyone who sees damage to its equipment to stay back, not touch it and report it directly by calling 105 or via Power Track¹.

SSEN said customers are eligible for its Priority Services Register if they 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. It said all its priority services are free, and that the register can be discussed on 0800 294 3259¹. SSEN also encouraged customers to follow its Facebook page (ssencommunity) for regular updates¹. The Met Office weather warnings guide explains the difference between Yellow, Amber and Red warnings, and households can read how to sign up for Met Office weather alerts. Our guide to preparing your home and garden for high winds covers the practical checks, and the storms and snow hub collects the related guidance.

What happens next

SSEN said it would continue to watch the period of weather closely as it develops and would issue further updates depending on the forecast¹. The Amber Warning is in place from 9am on Sunday, with the Yellow Warning for the whole of Scotland running from 3am on Sunday, and winds affecting Orkney and Shetland later on Sunday and into Monday¹.