Heavy snow: Extra engineers arrive to fix Shetland power cut

A convoy of engineers has arrived in Shetland to help restore power to thousands of homes.

Heavy snowstorms have interrupted supplies to about 2,800 homes with many facing days without power.

Fifteen crews arrived in Lerwick by ferry to help with reconnection efforts which are being hampered by continued poor weather.

The situation in Shetland has been declared a major incident, with residents urged to stay at home.

Energy firm Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks has said it could be the end of the week before some homes are reconnected.

Graeme Keddie, its director of corporate affairs, told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland generators were also being sent to Shetland and a helicopter would be used to assess damage to overhead lines.

He said: “This has been a very concentrated and explosive weather event on Shetland which has been far worse than expected. Local crews say it is the worst they have seen it since 1995.

“We made very good progress yesterday, we reconnected 1,000 homes, and we hope to make continued progress today.

“We are making good progress but we are at advising for some customers it will be the end of this week before they are reconnected.”

Emma Macdonald, the leader of Shetland Islands Council, who took five hours to make a 25-minute car journey on Monday during a blizzard, said the weather was unusual.

“The community is very resilient, as an island we have to be, and we have seen a lot of community support, everyone pulling together to do what they can.

“There is a lot of snow, a lot of wet snow and it is sticking on the lines which is the issue.

“It is very unprecedented, I don’t think it can be blamed on the electricity company.”

Meanwhile there has been heavy snow across much of north-east Scotland overnight.

Aberdeenshire Council says most of its roads network has been affected by heavy snow, and a number of schools in Aberdeenshire, Moray and Highland will be closed.

Aberdeen has also seen significant snowfall and bus company Stagecoach Bluebird says its services have been affected, with many cancelled, delayed or diverted.

The Met Office has extended a yellow warning for snow and ice covering northern Scotland until 23:59 on Thursday.

It covers the north and north-east of Scotland, Shetland, south-west Scotland, the Lothians, Scottish Borders and Orkney.

A Met Office yellow warning for strong winds is in force between 07:00 – 14:00 in Shetland, where gusts of up to 60-65mph will accompany blustery wintery showers, especially for northern areas.