Storm Otto: where are power outages after 80mph gusts hit Scotland? Met Office alert latest

Storm Otto has caused power cuts after 80mph gusts as heavy rain and snow also arrived
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Thousands of homes could be without power over the weekend as food vans were dispatched to the worst-hit areas in the wake of Storm Otto.

Gusts of 75-80mph were recorded across parts of northern Scotland on Friday (17 February) while trains and flights were cancelled and roads blocked by overturned lorries in northern England. More than 40,000 properties were left without power in Scotland, with around 7,600 still cut off as of 9pm on Friday.

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A yellow warning for snow and ice was in place for central parts of Scotland until 9am on Saturday, while the Met Office expected the heaviest rainfall by 7am to be around Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend County Borough in south Wales – between four and eight millimetres. However, the weather will be mild across southern and central areas of the UK on Saturday (18 February).

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution said it expected its teams to continue to make significant progress in restoring power to customers into Friday evening, but warned some customers in rural areas may be off supply for more than 48 hours. SSEN said it has sent food vans to the main areas still cut off from supply, and they will serve food and drink from 8am on Saturday.

In England, Northern Powergrid said around 21,000 customers lost power, with 92 still affected as of 9.15pm on Friday.

Where are the power outages?

SSEN’s power track map shows that there are currently 112 unplanned outages in Scotland and one in England. There is also one planned outage in force on Saturday.

Scotland

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The majority of power outages are concetrated in the Aberdeen area, with 110 outages reported in and around the city. Power cuts have also been confirmed near Bridge of Orchy, in Argyll and Bute.

England

A power cut has been reported in the Farnham area of Surrey on Saturday morning, SSEN’s power track map.

How damaging was the storm?

South Yorkshire Police officers were called to Endcliffe Vale Road at 8.50am. A spokesperson said: “A man in his 50s was injured and was taken to hospital in serious condition. A property nearby was also damaged and structural engineers are at the scene.”

A tree toppled on to a Porsche on Granby Road in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, causing anxiety for drivers in the area. Charlie Lowe, a 29-year-old cake business owner, photographed the crushed Porsche on her way to work, telling the PA news agency: “I felt shocked and I think it’s nerve-wracking. I felt a bit nervous driving around Harrogate as a result.”

Why was the storm called Otto?

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The storm, the first to be named this winter, was labelled Otto by the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI). It is the first named storm to directly affect the UK this storm-naming season, which began in September.

The first storm to be named by the Met Office, or the Irish and Dutch weather services, this season will still be Storm Antoni, in accordance with the 2022/23 storm name list.

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