15,000 homes still without power in Wales after Storm Eunice

There are still 15,000 homes without power in Wales after Storm Eunice.

Western Power has said that the area "sorry for how long it is taking" but that continued bad weather and fallen trees are hampering the repairs.

At one point in Wales over 95,000 customers were without power and that is now down to 15,000 as of 9am on Saturday, February 19.

Read more: Met Office issues third weather warning covering the whole of Wales until Monday night

A Western Power statement said: "We are sorry for how long it is taking – fallen trees are causing issues with access and there is a lot of debris to clear before our engineers can assess the damage and begin repairs. Our helicopter unit has now been deployed in a bid to speed the process up, with three helicopters patrolling in the South West and one in South Wales."

Operations director for Western Power Graham Halladay said: “I would like to reassure customers that we are working as hard as we can to restore supplies and our dedicated teams will keep working until the lights are back on for everyone. I would like to thank customers for their patience and support during these particularly challenging conditions.

“If you see damage to our equipment or spot electricity poles or power lines that are down, please stay clear of them and call 105.”

There are still three weather warnings in place in Wales and further power cuts are possible. Western Power have issued the following advice to prepare for possible power cuts:

1. Keep our telephone number handy or save it in your mobile phone (105 or 0800 6783 105) so that you can report a power cut or call for information and advice.
2. Keep a battery/solar charger handy so that you can recharge your smart phone or tablet and follow updates on social media, our online power cut map or Power Cut Reporter app.
3. Keep your freezer shut – depending on the type of freezer you have, the contents could stay frozen for up to 12 hours.
4. Check that you have a phone available that will work in a power cut – digital or cordless ones may not work.
5. Have things like a torch or lantern ready (it is best not to use candles or paraffin lights).
6. Protect sensitive electrical equipment such as computers with a surge protector plug.
7. If you have a mains operated stair lift, check to see if there is a manual release handle that can be used to return it safely to ground level if it stops working.