Wind energy from Storm Eunice generates 42% of electricity across UK

Wind energy generated a massive 42% of electricity across the UK as Storm Eunice swept in.

The country was hit by one of the worst storms in decades, with record gusts of 122mph provisionally recorded in the Isle of Wight.

Hundreds of thousands of homes are still without power due to the storm, with insurers indicating the clean-up could cost more than £300 million.

But it has emerged there was a significant increase in wind farm generated electricity as Eunice battered the country.

National Grid stats (as of 8.30am on Saturday) showed wind power accounted for 42% of electricity across the UK, dwarfing fossil fuels (22%) and nuclear (15%).

Renewable energy, which includes solar, wind and hydroelectric, usually generates a yearly average of electricity of 19.3%.

Watch: Storm Eunice leaves hundreds of thousands without power

In an update on Saturday morning, the Energy Networks Association said around 226,000 customers remained without power, while some 1.2 million had been reconnected.

Around 60,000 customers are still without power in the South of England, 58,000 in the South East, 55,000 in the South West, 35,000 in Eastern England and about 15,000 in South Wales, ENA said.

Energy minister Greg Hands added more than one million people have had their electricity restored, and shared a support line for anyone still facing power cuts.

He tweeted: “Electricity networks have worked throughout the night and this morning to restore power to homes across the UK.”

At the height of the storm, planes struggled to land in high winds, the roof of the O2 Arena in London was damaged, and the spire of St Thomas Church in Wells, Somerset, crashed to the ground.

The Association of British Insurers warned previous similar storms had cost around £360 million in repairs.

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A spokesperson said: “It is too early to estimate the likely insured cost of Storm Eunice, when insurers will be focusing on assessing damage and helping their customers recover.

“No two storms are the same. The last significant storms to hit the UK – Ciara and Dennis – led to insurers paying out over £360 million.”

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for wind covering the entire south coast and south-west Wales until 6pm on Saturday, and a yellow snow warning for parts of northern England from 11am until 3pm.

On Sunday, a yellow warning for wind is in place for England, Wales, and south-west Scotland, while a yellow rain warning covers Lancashire and Cumbria.

In total, three people died in the UK and one in Ireland, and many more were injured.

A woman in her 30s died after a tree fell on a car in Haringey, north London, on Friday afternoon, the Metropolitan Police said.

In Netherton, Merseyside, a man in his 50s died after debris struck the windscreen of a vehicle he was travelling in.

A man in his 20s was killed in Alton, Hampshire, after a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter pick-up collided with a tree in Old Odiham Road.

In Co Wexford, Ireland, a man was also killed by a falling tree.