Storm Darragh: Preparation advice

Storm Darragh is forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain to South Wales, the South West and the Midlands, bringing the possibility of power cuts and other disruption.

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

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. 

“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 additional support to sign-up to our free Priority Services Register so they can receive additional support during a power cut.”

We have issued a power cut checklist, so our 8 million customers can prepare for the storm.

Tips on how you can prepare in case of a power cut:     

• Keep our telephone number handy or save it in your mobile phone (105 or 0800 6783 105) so that you can report a power cut or call for free information and advice.  
• Keep a battery/solar charger handy so that you can recharge your smart phone or tablet and follow updates on social media and our online power cut map.  
• Keep your freezer shut – depending on the type of freezer you have, the contents could stay frozen for up to 12 hours.   
• Have things like a torch or lantern ready (it is best not to use candles or paraffin lights).  
• Protect sensitive electrical equipment such as computers with a surge protector plug.  
• If you have a mains operated stair lift, check to see if there is a manual release handle that can be used to return it safely to ground level if it stops working.  

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

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