Homes in Perthshire and Angus could be without power for a fourth night as work to repair damage caused by Storm Arwen continues.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) says it is still trying to restore supplies to 24,000 homes.
That includes properties in Monikie, Edzell and Maryton in Angus, and Milnathort, Grange, Braco and Glencarse in Perthshire.
The power issues forced 11 schools across Angus to shut on Monday, and it remains unclear if they will be able to welcome pupils back on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for SSEN says those in affected areas could be without power until at least Tuesday – though smaller numbers of households may face an even longer wait to be reconnected.
Overnight power was restored to about 9,500 homes including in Killin in Perthshire.
Mark Rough, director of customer operations at SSEN, insists engineers are making “good progress”.
He said: “The severity and prolonged nature of Storm Arwen has caused widespread and extensive damage to our network in the north east of Scotland, with significant and challenging conditions resulting in multiple instances of damage to several overhead line circuits.
“We continue to make good progress carrying out repairs and restoring power, with additional 9,500 customer supplies restored overnight and into this morning.
For those still without power following Storm Arwen, we’ve information about support available: https://t.co/cLPNgcwTXk
If you are concerned about neighbours or family, please contact our ACCESSline 03452 777 778.#StormArwen pic.twitter.com/5sATM3nK0O
— Angus Council (@AngusCouncil) November 29, 2021
“We are committed to restoring power to as many customers today as possible, but given the complexity and scale of the situation some customers will continue to be without power overnight.
“The extent of damage means the repair work needed is complex and often requires lengthy clearance of access just to reach the problem areas, with substantial tree cutting and re-erection of overhead network infrastructure.
“We continue to work closely with our local resilience partners to prioritise support for our most vulnerable customers.
“We would encourage any customer with a vulnerability who has concerns about remaining off supply, or if you have concerns about a vulnerable relative or neighbour, please give our teams a call on 105.
“We would once again like to thank our customers for their continued patience and understanding in what continues to be very challenging circumstances.”
Storm’s impact still being felt
The impact of Storm Arwen continues to be felt in other areas three days on.
Trains between Dundee and Aberdeen were only restored on Monday after being suspended over the weekend, though LNER is still seeing disruption to its services.
Firefighters were called to Tannadice Park in Dundee on Monday after damage was caused to Dundee United’s stadium roof.
And a pair of Dundee pensioners have been left with a 50ft tree on the roof of their house after it was blown over during Friday’s winds.
