Storm Barra threatens further blackouts as minister orders review of power cut chaos
Wind and rain from Barra will aggravate problems for residents in the North who are still without power
THOUSANDS of homes still without power after 10 days are braced for a second battering as Storm Barra is set to bring 70mph winds tomorrow.
Yellow severe weather warnings for wind cover almost the entire UK from 9am until midnight tomorrow while a yellow alert for snow covers northern England and Scotland.
The Met Office has put northern England on notice of further power outages and travel disruption while the Government is asking how more than 3,000 households remain in the dark 10 days after Storm Arwen brought 98mph winds which tore down cables. The Energy Networks Association (ENA) confirmed that 3,190 homes were without power last night, down from 4,700 on Saturday and 20,000 four days into the storm last week.
Kwasi Kwarteng, the Business and Energy Secretary, described the chaos as “totally unacceptable”, adding: “It’s wrong and bad for people to be off power for such a long time. I think we can make the system a lot more resilient.”
Officials in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have been asked to undertake a review to identify best practice for improving system resilience, infrastructure, and communications with customers. It will be led by an executive committee and involve industry leaders, alongside an “urgent” review by Ofgem which has threatened enforcement action.
Some residents in Co Durham and Cumbria said they still could not cook, wash or stay warm because of the blackout. Almost 300 soldiers continued to carry out checks on the vulnerable and deliver food parcels yesterday.
The ESA said: “We’re monitoring forecasts regularly, coordinating response plans and preparing to share resources if required.”
JOANNE WIIG, an NHS nurse from Harbottle, Northumberland, is entering her 10th day of power cuts thanks to Storm Arwen – and fears what is to come.
“The storm hit last Friday night, on Saturday morning I had no water, heat or electric. I slept in one room, wrapped in a blanket next to the log burner as the rest of the house was freezing,” Ms Wiig said. “By Wednesday I was feeling very cold, I hadn’t had a hot meal since the Friday,” she added.
She is keen for Boris Johnson to visit those affected. “I would personally take him to see the carnage that’s been left. I’m still very tired from lack of sleep and the electric went off again last night. I am emotionally drained to be honest, it’s all a bit surreal.”
More than 3,000 homes across northern England remained cut off from the mains last night, mostly in Northumberland, Co Durham and Cumbria.
But 10 days after Storm Arwen brought 98mph winds and heavy rain on Nov 25, residents are being warned it could get worse before it gets better.
Betty Brown, a 93-year-old Second World War survivor from Belford, Northumberland, also faces a 10th day in the dark. “Without the Calor Gas stove I would have had to move out, because I’m told the rest of the house is like an iceberg,” she told Chronicle Live, but insisted: “I shall get through it.”
Severe yellow weather warnings for winds of up to 70mph cover all of Britain from 9am until midnight tomorrow as Storm Barra pummels in from the west. A warning for two to five centimetres of snow covers most of northern England and Scotland from 11am until midnight. It is the shortest window between official storms since 2018.
The Met Office said that delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport were likely and further short-term power loss possible, while large waves may lash seafronts.
Dan Stroud, a forecaster at the Met Office, added: “It’s not great news as we’re looking for a wet week to come for many areas. It’s certainly unhelpful for the areas trying to recover from the aftermath of Storm Arwen.”
The Energy Networks Association (ESA) confirmed that 3,190 homes were still without power last night.
Ahead of the new weather front, the industry body added: “Energy network operators are working together to prepare for the developing Storm Barra.”
Northern Powergrid said it was hopeful those remaining without power will have it returned by tomorrow, with 260 generators installed around the North East. In Cumbria, Electricity North West said it was working on restoring power to a final few properties.
The Business Secretary announced an official review of the “totally unacceptable” disruption similar to an August 2019 power outage that affected one million people across England, Wales and some of Scotland.
Kwasi Kwarteng, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said: “We will have a review, we will see if the distributor companies have enough infrastructure, we may even have enforcement action if necessary.”
He rejected the criticism that the issue would have been solved quicker in the South. “The physical infrastructure, layout and landscape is very different,” he said on a visit to a Northern Powergrid call centre near Sunderland.
Last night, there were 15 flood alerts from the Environment Agency mostly for north-east England, meaning flooding is possible. Mr Johnson has said the Government is ready to support the recovery work “in any way we can”.