Heavy rain and winds could trigger power cuts in Estonia

Heavy rain, thunderstorms and wind gusts of up to 20 metres per second are expected over the weekend and at the start of next week, ERR reports. Elektrilevi, Estonia’s electricity network operator, warned that falling trees and branches could cause power outages.

Heavy rain will spread across Estonia on Saturday afternoon and evening. Thunderstorms are possible in some areas, while wind gusts will strengthen to 15 to 20 metres per second in several places.

The risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms will remain in many areas on Sunday, with wet weather continuing at the start of next week.

“Elektrilevi is monitoring the weekend weather closely, and our control centre and volunteer crisis reserve are ready to respond to possible faults with increased resources,” Elektrilevi board chairman Mihkel Härm said.

He advised people to stay indoors as weather conditions worsen, charge their phones and power banks in advance, and keep sufficient drinking water and food at home.

During heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds, people should remain indoors where possible and keep pets inside. Unnecessary car journeys should be avoided. If driving is unavoidable, motorists should choose a speed suitable for the weather and watch for trees, branches and other obstacles that may fall onto the road.

People should stay away from fallen power lines and report them to Elektrilevi’s fault line at 1343. During thunderstorms, they should avoid open areas, bodies of water and isolated tall trees.

In the event of a power cut, Elektrilevi recommends using a battery-powered torch rather than candles. The company also asks people to report outages through the MARU app, which allows rapid information exchange between customers and Elektrilevi. Current information about the number and locations of outages is available on Elektrilevi’s outage map.