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POWER companies are hoping to reconnect electricity supplies today to all homes still cut off three days after severe weather caused damage across the country.

More than 100,000 customers were left without power during the peak of Tuesday's storm when high winds brought down overhead lines.

Almost 2000 homes remain without electricity despite efforts from engineers trying to reconnect them.

The storms saw gusts of 102mph recorded at Blackford Hill in Edinburgh, while speeds of 97mph and 91mph were noted in Islay and Bishopton, Renfrewshire, respectively.

Scottish Power said about 950 customers were without power overnight, with more than 115,000 homes reconnected since the storm began.

It said the high winds caused the most damage in central Scotland in 13 years, with the overhead network experiencing more faults in a single day than it would normally receive in three months.

Alternative accommodation was being offered by the company to those who were not reconnected overnight.

Scottish Hydro said engineers worked into the night to reconnect customers in the Argyll and Bute area.

However, the company said last night it expected around 800 homes to be without power overnight.

It said those still lacking electricity were offered hot food and accommodation but the company was "confident" supplies would be restored to all customers over the course of today.

Scottish Hydro engineers restored electricity to Bute last night after the whole island was cut off when the main supply was damaged on Tuesday.

Argyll and Bute Council set up community rescue centres in the Rothesay Pavilion, providing soup, sandwiches and hot drinks.

Council leader Dick Walsh said: "Our communities are pretty resilient and are used to coping with bad weather. One day without electricity is difficult but when it drags on into two or three then it becomes a serious problem.

"People who could cope for a short period find it increasingly difficult to get by, so the number of vulnerable people increases.

"We've used all of our resources to help people, in some cases going door to door to make sure residents are well. And we've been working with the power companies, police and voluntary sector. Everyone has pulled together to help make a difficult situation more bearable."

Further bad weather hampered yesterday's repair efforts and also brought trouble to the country's transport network.

In Perthshire, two people suffered minor injuries after a passenger train carrying almost 50 passengers and crew struck a tree on the line just north of Dunkeld at around 8.20am.

Shaun Munday from Scottish Hydro said they now had less than 1000 customers without electricity.

He told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland: "We had a busy night, working late into the night and we managed to restore the main high voltage line feeding Bute, Cumbrae and Dunoon. So we managed to get 7000 people back on overnight and we have just 800 people still off supply."

The people still without power were "sprinkled around" the areas of Bute and Argyll, he said, adding: "We are hopeful we will be able to mop up and get all these people back on supply by the end of today."

Mr Munday said: "We certainly are throwing everything at this. We understand the most important thing is to get people back on and get the lights back on.

"We still have a lot of resources there, we will have helicopters up this morning to survey the lines.

"It has been a difficult job, there has been a lot of damage done by an exceptional weather incident and there is work to be done today, but we are confident everyone will be back on today."

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for slippery conditions caused by ice on the roads.

A man was taken to hospital after his truck slipped on ice and came off the road.

Emergency services were called to the scene just north of Peebles in the Scottish Borders shortly before 6am.

The Unimog 4x4 vehicle had gone down an embankment.

Its 29 year-old driver was cut free from the truck and taken ton hospital with head injuries and chest pains.

Police said his injuries were not thought to be life threatening.

A Met Office spokesman said: "Showers are likely to freeze with icy stretches forming.

"The public need to be aware of the need for extra care, particularly when travelling."