MANY Isle of Wight households are without power this afternoon (Friday), in the wake of what appears to be the worst of Storm Eunice.

Properties in parts of Cowes, East Cowes, Yarmouth, Calbourne, Brighstone, Shorwell, Rookley, Newport and Ryde have all been affected.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) says the storm is having a significant impact on the electricity network.

The electricity provider revealed it is unable to guarantee supplies will be restored soon, but its engineers are working hard to restore power.

As of 4pm, SSEN says power has been successfully restored to around 55,000 customers, with over 120,000 currently off supply.

A spokesperson for the company said: "The extreme winds have caused significant damage to our infrastructure, due to fallen and uprooted trees and windborne debris, which is also presenting access issues for our teams as they scout and assess faults.

"Our engineers continue to work on re-routing or ‘switching’ the network – restoring as many customers remotely as they can – with our operational teams ready to work on power lines when wind levels drop, and it is safe to do so."

Record gusts on the Island during Storm Eunice could be even higher than first believed, according to the Isle of Wight Met Service.

The five strongest wind gusts on the Island have since been revealed.

For the latest Isle of Wight travel and weather updates head to our live blog by clicking here.

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