More than 27,000 homes in Scotland lost power due to Storm Babet, according to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN).

The energy provider said as of 11.30am on Friday it had restored services to almost 24,000 homes and is working to reconnect 4,000 other properties which have been cut off.

The main areas affected are Aberdeenshire, Angus and Perthshire, reflecting The Met Office’s ongoing weather warnings for wind and rain, and SEPA’s flood warnings. 

SSEN said its field and support staff “continue to do all they can in extremely challenging conditions” to repair wind-related damage to its network. 

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Andy Smith, SSEN distribution operations director said: “Storm Babet’s severe effects continue to be felt, but our teams are making good progress. Through our automatic switching systems and the work of our teams on the ground, we have reconnected the majority of our customers who lost their supplies, and that effort continues today.

“We have 10 times our usual operational capacity to respond to issues as they occur.

“Our teams are facing hugely challenging circumstances on the ground, and I’d like to thank customers for their patience. I want to reassure them we’re doing everything we can to restore power as quickly as possible, and to limit the number of prolonged outages.

“We encourage anyone who may need additional support to contact our dedicated teams on the 24-hour power cut helpline on 105.”