Storm Éowyn: The Worst Day for Scotland's Power Network in 16 Years
The quick answer
On 24 January 2025, Storm Éowyn caused 739 high-voltage power faults in central and southern Scotland in a single day. That’s about 80 times a normal day, and the worst day in SP Energy Networks’ records going back to 2010. Over two days there were 868 faults, more than Storms Arwen and Ali put together. Wind caused 860 of them.
Storm Éowyn brought a rare red wind warning to central and southern Scotland. We went through SP Energy Networks’ open data, every high-voltage fault in central and southern Scotland since April 2010, to see how it compares.
The worst days since 2010
High-voltage faults in central and southern Scotland over the worst two-day periods:
| Storm | Date | Faults (2 days) | Homes cut off* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storm Éowyn | 24 Jan 2025 | 868 | 198,000 |
| January 2012 storm | 3 Jan 2012 | 459 | 143,000 |
| December 2013 storm | 5 Dec 2013 | 390 | 69,000 |
| Storm Arwen | 26 Nov 2021 | 389 | 74,000 |
| Storm Ali | 19 Sep 2018 | 364 | 62,000 |
A normal day sees about 9 high-voltage faults across the whole area. On the day of Éowyn, faults peaked at 83 in a single hour around midday.
How the day unfolded
The first faults came just after 4am. By 7am more than 60 an hour were being logged, and apart from a short lull mid-morning it stayed at 60 to 80 an hour until mid-afternoon. It eased off after 4pm, but faults were still coming in at around 10 an hour late into the evening.
That matters if you’re preparing: the damage comes over hours, not minutes, and crews can’t safely start some repairs until the wind drops. That’s why big storms can leave rural homes off for days.
Where was hit hardest
| District | Faults | Homes cut off* |
|---|---|---|
| Dumfries | 243 | 45,000 |
| Central & Fife | 167 | 51,000 |
| Ayrshire | 156 | 49,000 |
| Edinburgh & Borders | 147 | 21,000 |
| Lanarkshire | 114 | 30,000 |
| Glasgow | 22 | 2,000 |
The pattern matches our 16-year analysis of Scotland’s power cut hotspots: rural areas with long overhead lines take the damage, and cities with underground cables barely notice.
A month like no other
January 2025 had 1,313 high-voltage faults, nearly 5 times a typical January. 2025 also had more weather-related faults (2,030) than any other year since 2010.
What to take from it
Big storms like Éowyn come round every few years, and they’re the ones that leave people off for days. You don’t need much to get through one:
- The day before: charge phones and power banks, fill flasks, find torches and the radio, and storm-proof the garden.
- When the power goes: call 105, keep the fridge and freezer shut, and follow our power cut checklist.
- If it’s off for a long time: keep one room warm and check what compensation you’re owed.
- Next time: check for warnings where you live on our weather warnings page, and see who’s off right now on our live power cut checker.
About the data
High-voltage fault records from SP Energy Networks’ open data, covering its SP Distribution area (central and southern Scotland), 1 April 2010 to 28 May 2026. *“Homes cut off” counts customer interruptions: each time a customer lost power, so one home cut off twice counts twice. Street-level faults and the north of Scotland (run by SSEN) aren’t included.
Contains SP Energy Networks open data. Journalists are welcome to use these figures with a link to this page.
Frequently asked questions
How bad was Storm Éowyn for power cuts in Scotland?
In central and southern Scotland it was the worst day for the power network since records in SP Energy Networks' open data began in 2010. There were 739 high-voltage faults on 24 January 2025 alone, about 80 times a normal day, and 868 over two days.
Which areas were hit hardest by Storm Éowyn?
In SP Energy Networks' area, the Dumfries district had the most faults (243 in two days), followed by Central & Fife (167), Ayrshire (156) and Edinburgh & Borders (147). Glasgow was hardly affected, with 22.
Was Storm Éowyn worse than Storm Arwen?
In central and southern Scotland, yes, by a long way. Éowyn caused 868 high-voltage faults in two days there, compared with 389 for Arwen in November 2021. Arwen hit the north-east of Scotland and northern England hardest, which are run by different networks.
How can I prepare for the next big storm?
Charge power banks, fill flasks, find torches and a radio, and secure anything loose in the garden the day before. Check whether a Met Office warning covers your area on our weather warnings page, and if the power goes, call 105.