Thousands still without power for fourth night amid 'colossal' Storm Eowyn clean-up

Thousands of Scots are still without power amid the “colossal” Storm Eowyn recovery operation.

Tens of thousands of homes were left without power after the storm hit on Friday with around 4,000 homes still cut off overnight.

First Minister John Swinney said reconnecting power in Scotland following the extreme weather was an “utterly colossal” challenge.

It comes after Storm Eowyn brought hurricane-force winds and a rare red weather alert from the Met Office.

Gusts hit 100mph as high winds caused damage across the country, disrupting travel and damaging property.

Scottish Power confirmed on Monday night that just under 3,000 properties on its network remained without power as efforts to reconnect them continued.

As of 7am on Tuesday, SSEN confirmed that 900 customers were without power due to damage.

A SSEN spokesperson said: “We’re in direct contact with affected customers to provide them updates and are checking in over the phone with the most vulnerable among them.

“The provision of free hot meals and drinks in communities awaiting reconnection will be in place once again. Details will be provided on our social media channels and to customers over the phone if they don’t have online access,” they added.

Travel disruption is still in place, with a number of railways closed due to damage.

Thousands of homes lost power on Friday after Storm Eowyn brought winds of up to 100mph and a rare red weather warning from the Met Office. X/Network Rail

Network Rail reported around 500 individual incidents across the network, including over 120 trees on tracks, damaged overhead wires and more.

It confirmed the following routes remain closed:

Paisley-Gourock/Wemyss Bay
Kilwinning-Largs/Ardrossan
Hamilton Circle
Ayr-Girvan-Stranraer

First Minister John Swinney thanked the public, private and third sector for working tirelessly to get Scotland “fully back on its feet”.

“The severity of the damage caused by this major event has had a considerable impact across a wide area of the country,” he said.

“While every effort has been made over the weekend to fully restore services, unfortunately, it is clear some disruption can continue to be expected.”

Swinney added: “I would therefore urge rail commuters to plan their journeys ahead. The latest information can be found on Network Rail and ScotRail’s social media accounts and websites.

“While most schools will reopen, a small number are expected to be closed so buildings can be made safe. I expect local authorities to give advance warnings to parents, pupils, and staff when this is necessary.”