Storm Debi hits the North West with strong winds likely to cause power cuts

Electricity North West warned customers to be prepared as Storm Debi hit the North West on 1 November 2023, with strong winds likely to cause power cuts, the Lancashire Resilience Forum reported¹. Engineers were placed on standby across the region and emergency plans were stood up so that teams could respond to issues as quickly as possible if the power network was damaged¹.

The network operator's incident manager, Mark Mercer, said trees are cut all year round to clear them from power lines, but that strong winds can still cause damage and blow other debris into the network, causing power cuts¹. He said the company has 44,000km of overhead lines across the North West, enough to wrap all the way around the world, and that it was monitoring the network in real time with standby cover ramped up for the next couple of days¹.

The forum said households can prepare ahead of possible power cuts by charging phones and laptops, getting blankets and torches ready and speaking with neighbours or family members so they know what to do¹. Live power cut information is published by Electricity North West, which can also be contacted free on 105 from any phone and followed on X and Facebook¹. The company offers extra support to customers who may find power cuts more difficult through its Extra Care Register, which people can join themselves or register a friend or family member for, free of charge¹.

No casualty figures, damage estimates or numbers of properties affected by Storm Debi have been reported in the announcement¹. The warning covers the North West region served by Electricity North West; no breakdown of expected conditions by county or town was given¹.

Why it matters for households

Households across the North West served by Electricity North West are affected from 1 November 2023, with strong winds forecast to continue and standby cover in place for the next couple of days¹. The practical risk identified is damage to overhead lines and debris blown into the network, either of which can interrupt supply¹. The company's advice is to stay well clear of damaged equipment because it could still be live, to call 105 so engineers can make it safe, and to call 999 in a life-threatening situation¹. The forum's preparation advice covers charging phones and laptops, readying blankets and torches, and agreeing with neighbours or family what to do¹. Households that may find a power cut more difficult can use the Extra Care Register, including by registering a relative or friend¹. Background on how storms affect the network and on household steps during an outage is set out in the guide to storms and the electricity network and in what to do when the electricity goes off; the wider causes of supply loss are covered in why the electricity goes off.

What happens next

Electricity North West said standby cover was ramped up for the next couple of days and that it was monitoring the network in real time, ready to respond wherever the worst of the weather hits¹. Live power cut information is available from the company, and updates are issued on X and Facebook¹. No further timetable for the warning has been reported¹.