ELECTRICITY bosses said today that they were “very confident” that properties without power following Storm Gerrit will be reconnected after thousands of homes were left without electricity for a second night.

High winds, heavy rain and snow damaged electricity networks in some parts of Scotland.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Distribution said that as of 11am, electricity supplies had been successfully restored to more than 47,000 properties, while 450 remained off supply.

The company said these localised faults were in small pockets across Aberdeenshire, Perthshire and the Great Glen and were the focus of ongoing repair and restoration efforts.

Winds at Inverbervie, on the Aberdeenshire coast, reached 86mph during Storm Gerrit — higher than the 78mph winds that hit the town during Storm Arwen in November 2021.

The Met Office reported that the worst of Storm Gerrit had passed. The last few days of 2023 are forecast to be unsettled, with strong winds, rain and even snow on higher ground.