TENS of thousands of residents in Scotland are still without electricity in the wake of Storm Arwen, which claimed the lives of three people in the UK.
Transport links across the country were also thrown into chaos when the extreme weather hit on Friday.
The Met Office issued a rare red weather warning for wind for the east of Scotland and parts of England.
Mark Rough, director of customer operations at Scottish Southern and Electricity Network (SSEN), said the storm was “one of the most significant weather events we have experienced in decades”.
READ MORE: Storm Arwen claims first Scottish victim after car struck by tree
He said the damage caused by Storm Arwen is three times greater than that experienced by his team due to the Beast from the East in 2018.
More than 100,000 homes in Scotland lost power on Friday night due to the severe damage caused across the country.
SSEN confirmed about 45,000 customers were still without power as at 11am on Sunday and many may not see their electricity restored “for several days”.
The utility firm urged customers whose power is down, particularly those in rural and isolated communities, to make “alternative arrangements where possible”.
Storm Arwen - 11am Update
— ssencommunity (@ssencommunity) November 28, 2021
We remain at red alert status in the north of Scotland as our teams continue to respond to the widespread and extensive damage caused by Storm Arwen.
Read more: https://t.co/OxX6Kdc3wP pic.twitter.com/jzNYUCApSa
Further details on when power will be restored will be shared later on Sunday, SSEN added.
Rough said: “Our teams are responding to some of the most significant and challenging conditions experienced in the areas affected in decades, with catastrophic damage on several overhead circuits due to multiple instances of damage which need to be repaired before power can be restored.
“We do expect to make good progress today and restore power to significant numbers of customers who remain off supply.
“However, as it is likely to take several days before each and every customer is restored and the network is back to normal operations, we are this morning giving advance notice to customers who remain off supply, particularly those in rural and isolated communities, that it may take several days before power is restored.
He urged vulnerable customers and those who are concerned about a neighbour or relative in an isolated, rural community to call the SSEN team on 105.
Police Scotland warned it could be another two days before parts of the country recover from the impact of the storm.
Chief Superintendent George Macdonald said: “It is clear that, despite the best efforts of all involved, some parts of the area could take up to another 36 to 48 hours to recover and get back to normal in terms of power and water supplies, and other essential services.
“Therefore, we will be working hard to get back to normal and officers from Police Scotland are providing additional patrols in areas worst affected.”
He urged motorists to only travel for essential journeys and to check travel conditions, adding: “Please allow extra time for your journey, ensure your vehicle is sufficiently fuelled and drive to the road conditions.
Since lunchtime on Friday we’ve had 21,000 messages through our social media channels and over 61,000 calls.
— ssencommunity (@ssencommunity) November 28, 2021
We have additional staff on hand to respond and we’re working as quickly to answer calls and respond to messages online. Thank you for your patience. pic.twitter.com/JLbrSmv1L9
“Consider taking some warm clothes, food and water within your vehicle, in case of delays, and ensure your mobile phone is fully charged.”
He added: “While the Met Office yellow warning for ice last night affecting much of northern and eastern Scotland has now expired, they advise that with the combination of today’s showers in the east and the low temperatures, it is likely that a yellow warning for ice will be issued for parts of eastern Scotland for tonight.
“An ongoing concern to all partners is the vulnerability of certain people within our communities, and the partnership is doing all it can to provide support, but we would encourage communities to look out for those who they believe may be requiring additional support.”
READ MORE: Snow and ice warnings issued in aftermath of Storm Arwen
Three people were killed when the storm brought gusts of almost 100mph to parts of the UK.
Police Scotland confirmed a 35-year-old man died when his pick-up truck was struck by a falling tree on the B977 Dyce to Hatton of Fintray Road in Aberdeenshire at about 5.45pm on Friday.
Cumbria Police said a man from Lancaster died in Ambleside after a tree fell on him just before 11pm.
In Northern Ireland, a man was killed when his car was hit by a falling tree in County Antrim.
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