Scottish Government: Response to Storm Éowyn

Severe weather and disruption expected to continue. 

First Minister John Swinney has asked people to continue to follow Police Scotland advice not to travel during the red weather warning and to be mindful that dangerous conditions will persist for the rest of the evening while the amber warning remains in place. 

It follows a meeting of the Scottish Government's Resilience Room (SGoRR), which is co-ordinating the response to the damage and disruption caused by Storm Éowyn in Scotland. 

SGoRR was updated on the current impacts, including: 

• Currently around 100,000 households without power 
• Severe transport disruption with rail, bus, flight, ferry and tram cancellations as well as road closures across the network 
• 92% of the school estate in Scotland is closed 
• Cancellation of non-urgent medical appointments 

The First Minister said utility companies are working at pace to restore power as quickly as possible, however as conditions remain too dangerous for recovery teams to operate fully, welfare provisions are in place to support the most vulnerable. Members of the public are also being urged to plan ahead and continue to follow safety advice in the coming days, including checking for the latest road conditions, Scotrail services and public transport advice which are all expected to experience continued disruption.   

First Minister John Swinney said: 

“Storm Éowyn is an exceptional weather event and is causing significant impacts across Scotland, with multiple reports of fallen trees and blown over vehicles. What the Met Office predicted has come our way, with gusts of 100mph winds reported. 

“I want to thank members of the public for largely following Police Scotland's advice not to travel. However, this storm is not over yet. Even once the red weather warning expires, severe weather warnings for wind, snow and ice remain in place across much of the country tonight and into tomorrow morning. 

“A high level of vigilance is still required. There are still too many lorries on the road and I urge all HGVs to follow Police Scotland advice not to travel during the red weather warning. 

“We are also seeing reports of multiple power outages across Scotland and expect these to continue over the course of the day. It will take time to recover power and transport services across the country, as conditions still remain too dangerous for recovery teams to operate.  

“Utilities companies are focused on supporting their most vulnerable customers and I'd encourage everyone to please look out for each other and take extra care during this time.” 

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Sutherland, who is leading the multi-agency response to Storm Eowyn, said:

“We have seen significant disruption across the country, particularly in the areas affected by the red weather warning. First and foremost, our thoughts are with those who have been injured and those impacted by the weather.

“The high winds are forecast to continue, with Amber warnings in place into this evening and tomorrow morning.

“It is concerning that there has been a large number of HGVs on the road. We have responded to 11 incidents so far where HGVs have overturned due to high winds and I want to reiterate the advice that you should not travel in or to areas under the red weather warning. Additionally, I would urge the public to avoid travelling in areas affected by the Amber warning and consider delaying your travel until conditions improve. We don't ask you to do this lightly and we make this ask with public safety at the forefront of decision-making.

“Roads are likely to be affected by debris for some time to come and motorists should drive with caution when it is safe to return to the roads.”

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Head of Operations Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Garry Mackay said:

"Our Operations Control rooms are experiencing an extremely high number of 999 calls at the moment. Please only dial 999 and ask for us where there is an immediate risk of harm.

"For fallen trees or obstacles that do not pose an immediate risk to the public or property, we are asking the public to please contact your local authority."

Background  

SGoRR was attended by the Deputy First Minister, and Cabinet Secretaries for Health; Education; Transport; Justice; Rural Affairs and Islands; and Net Zero and Energy. They were joined by representatives from the Met Office, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, SEPA, transport and utilities companies and resilience partners. 

The latest Met Office weather warnings are available on the Met Office website.  

Flood alerts are issued by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and can be viewed on their website.   

Advice on preparing for severe weather can be found on the Ready Scotland website.   

Follow Traffic Scotland for the most up-to-date information on the trunk roads throughout the warning periods, via their website, social media channels and radio broadcasts. Updates on ScotRail services and road conditions are available online. 

To report a power cut or damage to electricity power lines or substations call the SP Networks national Freephone number 105. More information on what to do during a storm can also be found on SP Energy Website. 

During a power cut firefighters can be called to fires started by candles or portable heaters. For advice on how to stay safe during a power cut visit Scottish Fire and Rescue Website.