With Storm Ciara in full flow, Electricity North West engineers have now restored power to 7,500 properties where trees and debris have brought down several overhead lines.

Localised flooding is also causing issues to the network as engineers are working hard to restore power, with conditions likely to get worse.

Yesterday, wind speeds topped 55mph along with prolonged spells of heavy rain and today, gusts are expected to reach up to 80mph while Electricity North West has received more than 100 flood alerts across the region.

Electricity North West is continuing to monitor the weather and more than 200 engineers are on standby to respond. Restoration efforts are being hampered as fallen trees block access to sites and the high winds make it unsafe for engineers to climb poles to repair overhead lines.

Sam Loukes, Incident Manager at Electricity North West, said: “As expected, the weather conditions are causing problems to the North West’s electricity network.

“The Met Office’s weather warnings continue to be in place and we have more than 200 engineers across the region available to deal with faults on the network where possible.

“We urge our customers to remain vigilant and stay indoors where possible. If people do see damage to the electricity network, we urge them to stay away and report it to us immediately by calling 105.”

You can view any live power cut information in the region on Electricity North West’s website here, get in touch on Twitter or Facebook, or by calling for free on 105 from any phone.

Electricity North West offers extra support to customers through their Priority Services Register. For more information and to register visit www.enwl.co.uk/priority .

Customers can stay safe and prepare themselves in the event of potential power cuts by following the simple advice here www.enwl.co.uk/power-cuts/helpful-tips .

You can see how Electricity North West prepares the network throughout the year by watching this video.