Met Office Yellow Warning for wind remains in place for central southern England

A Met Office Yellow Warning for wind was due to remain in place for central southern England until 6:00pm on Sunday 8 December, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said on the evening of Saturday 7 December. SSEN reported that sustained wind speeds above 50 mph were expected to persist overnight and through Sunday¹.

As of 8:30pm on 7 December, SSEN said supplies had been restored to 47,000 customers in central southern England, with work ongoing to reconnect a further 19,000 homes and businesses in the region after continued severe winds caused further faults on the network¹. Gusts recorded during Saturday included 75 mph in Portland, 71 mph in Yeovil, 64 mph on the Isle of Wight and 61 mph in Odiham¹. SSEN described Storm Darragh as "by far the worst storm of this winter so far"¹.

The network operator said conditions for repairs had been challenging, with some roads blocked by fallen trees and wind speeds at times too high for crews to work safely at height. It said it had bolstered usual weekend staffing levels ten-fold, with hundreds of extra team members, and that its customer contact team had spoken to more than 25,000 Priority Service Register customers. Food vans have been deployed in areas with longer outages, with more than 700 free meals provided so far¹.

SSEN said it expected many faults to be fixed by the end of Saturday night, with the intention that the remainder be restored on Sunday, though ongoing severe weather meant further faults were likely. Latest restoration times for each fault are being updated on SSEN's Power Track website and app¹.

Why it matters for households

Households across central southern England remained affected on Saturday night, with around 19,000 homes and businesses still waiting to be reconnected and the Yellow Warning running until Sunday evening¹. SSEN said customers who have had no power for more than 12 hours are entitled to £30 per person for every day without power, to cover the cost of food and drink, and that people should keep hold of receipts and claim costs back at www.ssen.co.uk/stormclaim¹.

SSEN reported issues with the "Power Cut 105" telephone line, which it said was not directing all callers through to their own network operator, and said the Energy Networks Association, which manages the service, was urgently investigating. Customers who are being redirected can contact SSEN via WhatsApp, Facebook, or its alternative freephone number, 0800 0727 282¹. SSEN also advises saving that number to report any loss of supply or damage to the electricity network, and says anyone who sees damage to its equipment should stay back, not touch it, and report it by calling 0800 0727 282¹.

SSEN says registering for its Priority Services Register gives extra help during a power cut, and that all priority services are free. It lists eligibility as including people who 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. The Met Office's warning levels are set out in our guide to Met Office weather warnings, and households can read how to sign up for Met Office weather alerts.

What happens next

SSEN said it intended the remaining faults to be restored on Sunday 8 December, with the Yellow Warning in place until 6:00pm that day and further faults considered likely¹. Restoration times for individual faults are being updated on SSEN's Power Track website and app¹.