National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) is urging customers in the South West to be ready in case of power cuts caused by Storm Darragh.

Forecasters say strong winds and heavy rain are due today and over the weekend bringing the possibility of power outages and other disruption.

The electricity network is built to be resilient, but extreme weather can impact power supplies. NGED staff will be working around the clock to restore electricity quickly if severe conditions cause disruptions.

A power cut checklist has been issued by NGED so its 1.6 million customers in the region can prepare for the storm:

  • Keep a torch handy – avoid using candles or paraffin heaters.
  • Keep a wind-up, battery or solar powered radio for updates
  • Keep an analogue phone or charged mobile phone to hand
  • If you have a mains-operated stair lift, check it has a manual release handle
  • Make sure any medical equipment you have at home has a battery back-up, if not please contact your medical professional for advice

Roisin Quinn, Director of Field Operations at National Grid Electricity Distribution, said: “Engineers are ready to repair any damage that Storm Darragh causes, while our control centre will be working 24/7 to manage supplies, and our customer contact centre team will be available to answer customers’ calls around the clock.

“While our network is very reliable, we have been preparing for winter by carrying out repairs and maintenance ahead of time. This includes vegetation trimming to protect overhead lines from fallen trees and using sophisticated camera technology to assess pylons, poles and cables.

“Anyone who experiences a power cut, should call us on 105 and we’ll do all we can to get the lights back on as quickly as possible. We also encourage customers who need extra help and support to sign-up to our free Priority Services Register so they can receive additional support during a power cut.

"If you see any damage to our equipment, please stay back, don’t touch it and instead report it to us by calling 105."

Customers can find more information about power cuts at https://powercuts.nationalgrid.co.uk