Storm Éowyn highlights growing need for ‘resilience planning’ across all infrastructure
Transport services have been closed in key regions while thousands of homes have lost power in Scotland as the UK prepares for its resilience to be tested by Storm Éowyn.
Storm Éowyn’s winds have prompted red warnings with gusts today recorded by the Met Office at speeds of 114mph at Mace Head, a record wind speed for Ireland.
A red warning means that it is likely that the weather will cause damage to infrastructure, buildings, roads, houses and shops.
Met Office chief meteorologist Jason Kelly said today: “Storm Éowyn is now bringing very strong winds to parts of the UK.
“There is potential for gusts of 100mph in exposed locations within the red warning area.”
The red warnings are in full force through today, 24 January, with the strongest and most disruptive gusts in Northern Ireland and western and central parts of Scotland. In the Red Warning area, 80-90mph gusts are expected inland, with 100mph gusts possible on exposed western coasts,
The storm is expected to continue into 25 January which will remain a breezy day everywhere with strong winds persisting in the north.
Power
Scottish Power Energy Networks stated 20,000 homes had lost power in central and southern Scotland, a further 10,000 were previously without power but that has now been restored.
Scottish & Southend Electricity Networks (SSEN) revealed in the north, about 15,000 households had lost electricity. Scottish Police said that roughly 11,000 homes had lost power in Dumfries and Galloway alone.
In an attempt to combat the unpredictability of the storm and keep power running in places affected, organisations have taken special measures to try and withstand this test of their resilience.
SSEN has laid out a number of the measures it has taken, including having extra operators in the control room to reroute the network around faults that may occur.
It also has more engineers in place where the impact of the storm is expected to be at its greatest.
Additional tree cutting teams will also be deployed over the weekend to assist engineers in accessing faults on the network. The high winds forecast means it’s likely many trees will come down, potentially causing access issues for SSEN’s teams.
SSEN director of customer operations for the north of Scotland Andy Smith said: “The Met Office’s prediction that this will be the most severe storm of the winter so far is supported by our own forecasts, and our assessments of the damaging impact this storm will have. We’re very well prepared at this time, taking a range of extra steps to respond to network damage as safely and quickly as we can.
“Customers should be prepared for the likelihood that these exceptionally strong winds may well disrupt their power supplies, but I want to reassure everyone we’ll get them reconnected as safely and quickly as we can.
“However, this may take some time, given the strength and spread of these exceptionally strong winds.”
Transport
Where transport is concerned, no trains will run on Friday on Scotland until the storm has passed and the lines inspected for damage.
Inspections will take place on the affected lines on Saturday morning for any damage, using a combination of locomotives, foot patrols and helicopter inspections.
Extra engineers will also be deployed across Scotland’s Railway to inspect lines, repair damage and reopen routes as quickly as possible for passengers and freight customers once the weather clears.
Network Rail has also issued a strict ‘Do not travel’ warning for today. on the East Coast Main Line.
Residents living near to the railway have also been urged to tie down loose garden items, like trampolines or gazebos, which pose a risk of blowing onto the tracks.
Lines north of Preston on the West Coast Main Line and north of Newcastle on the East Coast Main Line will also face closures impacting Anglo-Scots services. Network Rail further stated other lines across Northern England, Scotland and Northern Wales may also be closed at short notice due to the impacts of the storm.
Transport Scotland operating company Bear Scotland has also stated it is mobilising and preparing to deal with whatever Storm Éowyn brings to north west Scotland’s trunk roads.
Bear Scotland north west representative Ian Stewart said: “Conditions are expected to be hazardous across the network and Police Scotland have issued a warning not to travel to the areas affected by the red weather warning.
“We urge the public to pay close attention to weather warnings and comply with police advice to avoid travel during the storm.
“Our teams will be fully mobilised to respond to and deal with any issues that arise on the trunk road network, such as fallen trees, flooding or bridge closures.”
Roads already affected in Scotland
Construction preparedness
Construction projects can also be hit hard during storms. Extreme weather events such as this can cause project delays and damage to equipment.
Towergate Insurance Brokers risk management director Alistair Bambrook has stated the construction industry needs to be prepared for storms such as this as they become more and more frequent with climate change.
“The construction industry is inherently exposed to weather-related challenges,” he said.
“However, with extreme weather becoming more frequent and severe, businesses need to prioritise resilience planning.”
These include weatherproofing sites, preventing flooding by improving and monitoring drainage infrastructure and developing a clear action plan for extreme weather, covering evacuation procedures and securing materials.
Beyond the weekend
A further area of low pressure is expected start to influence the UK’s weather from Sunday, initially in the west, but spreading further north and east and bringing more strong winds and rain from Sunday and into the start of next week
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Mark Sidaway said: “While the worst of the winds from Storm Éowyn will ease later on Friday, Scotland will continue to see gusty winds through Saturday as the low pressure clears to the northeast.
“After a brief calmer spell, another area of low pressure will bring further strong winds and heavy rain through Sunday.
“The strongest winds will be focussed in western parts, while the wettest conditions will likely be across Wales, central and southern England.
“This low pressure will not be as powerful as Storm Éowyn but it could hamper the recovery efforts of responders in some of the impacted areas from Friday’s storm. Warnings could be updated through the weekend and into next week, so keep up to date with the forecast.”
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