Electricity North West is prepared as Storm Gerrit hits the region today and overnight with strong winds likely to cause power cuts.

Engineers will be on standby and emergency response plans have been stood up so teams can be ready to respond if the network is damaged.

Met Office forecasters have issued a yellow weather warning and are predicting winds of up to 65mph in some areas whilst heavy rain is also forecast. Some areas will experience gusts throughout the day, but peak gusts are expected from 6pm and overnight.

Storm Gerrit is the fourth major weather incident Electricity North West has responded to this month and incident manager, Mark Mercer, said: “We’ve been monitoring the forecast daily and adapted our preparations to ensure we’re ready for when the bad weather hits.

“We cut trees all year to clear them from power lines, but strong winds can still cause damage and blow other debris into the network which can cause power cuts.

“The key thing during a storm is to keep everybody safe. If you see any damaged equipment, then stay well clear as it could still be live. Call us on 105 and we will send engineers to make it safe, or if there’s a life-threatening situation call 999.”

Electricity North West offers extra support to customers who may find power cuts more difficult through its Extra Care Register. For more information and to register yourself or a friend or family member for free, visit www.enwl.co.uk/extracare.

You can prepare ahead of possible power cuts by charging phones and laptops, getting blankets and torches ready and speaking with neighbours or family members so you know what to do. For more tips and for live power cut information go to www.enwl.co.uk/powercuts.

You can follow updates and contact Electricity North West on X and Facebook, or you can call for free on 105 from any phone.