News / Lightning causes power cuts
NEARLY one hundred properties were left without power at Friday lunchtime after lightning struck across Shetland earlier in the morning.
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) said around 70 customers lost supply in the Whiteness area at around 10am.
The fault occurred after an electricity pole was hit by lightning, with power expected not to return before 4pm.
A further 23 properties in Dunrossness lost electricity at around 12.30pm, with engineers working in the afternoon to fix the overhead network. Again, the power is also expected to be back on by 4pm.
BT also confirmed that some households lost phone line coverage as a result of the weather, with reports locally suggesting the north mainland was particularly affected.
A spokesman said: “Following lightning across Shetland earlier today, a small number of customers may have experienced faults with their phone or broadband services.
“Anyone with a fault should contact their service provider. There’s been no damage to our infrastructure or wider network.”
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