33,000 homes left without power by storms

MORE than 33,000 homes lost power and trees and power lines were toppled as recent storms left a trail of devastation across North Wales, according to energy giant Scottish Power.

SP Energy Networks (SPEN) bosses revealed the figures after North Wales was hit by two storms – Ophelia and Brian – within a week.

Winds of 90mph hit Llandudno and Caernarfon during Storm Ophelia, closely followed by Storm Brian battering the coast of the Llŷn Peninsula and Aberystwyth with gusts of almost 80mph.

Hundreds of trees were felled, with some crashing down onto power lines, and numerous electricity poles were downed.

Flooding was an issue for the energy provider in Aberystwyth, Borth and the Llŷn Peninsula, where teams lay sandbags around substations to prevent water entering.

Stephen Stewart, director at SPEN, said: “Our teams have responded to a much higher than normal number of incidents across North and Mid Wales in October due to the severe storm force winds.

“Our network is more resilient than ever and can cope with winds reaching 50, 60 and even 70mph.