Hydro engineers brave atrocious weather to keep the lights on 4/2/13
Winds gusting around 80 mph seriously hampered hydro engineers repairing broken high voltage power lines in the Western Isles at the height of today’s storm.
A number of village sin Uig have no electricity tonight. Some home s in Aird Point, Barvas and Galson are also without power.
Homes in Tarbert and in the Bays of Harris suffered a powercut earlier which occurred just after the last of a number of homes on the other side of Harris were reconnected after the lights went out at 1am this morning.
Properties in Carloway on Lewis lost power around 4am.
Scottish and Southern Electricity (SSE) workers turned out in wild weather but heavy, localised westerly winds made it far too hazardous to commence repairs early this morning.
A lull in the weather allowed both districts to be repaired with Luskentyre being reconnected around 4.30pm today.
A SSE spokesperson said there was a serious risk to safety with the extreme weather, high winds and a high risk of lightening strike
The spokesperson said: “To send engineers up poles in these conditions would be extremely dangerous.
“The work started when it was safe to do so and a lull in the weather allowed the work to take place.”
The spokesperson said the islands’ power network had held up well given the severity
of the storm thanks to a pre-
That caused around 50 island properties to have their supply interrupted over the weekend as engineers strengthened the electricity grid running through villages.