A NUMBER of properties close to Dulverton were into their third day without power on Sunday (October 25) as engineers struggled to fix a fault on overhead electricity cables.

A massive fault developed just after 11.15 am on Friday as the UK’s first named storm of the autumn, Storm Austen, struck Exmoor.

The storm initially took out overhead high voltage lines providing power to nearly 1,500 homes and businesses in the Battleton to Brushford area, while residents across a wider area including Brompton Regis and Exford experienced a lower wattage level which saw lights dimmed and some appliances stop working.

One Dulverton resident, Jenny Davenport, opened her home in High Street during the power cut for anybody who wanted to heat food or fill flasks of hot water.

She said on social media: “Our lights are a bit dodgy, but our Rayburn is not affected.”

National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) engineers were able to restore supplies to more than 1,140 customers inside an hour.

But, others were told it would be mid-afternoon before they were back online, an estimate which NGED later pushed back, first to 1 pm and then to 10 pm on Saturday, and finally to 10 pm on Sunday.

Properties were one by one reconnected during that time, leaving eight customers facing a wait until Sunday night, nearly 60 hours after they were cut off.

An NGED spokesperson said its engineers were working ‘as quickly as possible’ to have supplies back on.

They said the estimated time of reconnection could change if the engineers encountered unexpected challenges.

The spokesperson said: “These times show when the last person in the area will have power back, most will be reconnected before this.”