Environment
Extreme heat poses Spanish-style blackout threat to UK electrical grid
As climate change pushes summer temperatures to new highs, energy infrastructure such as cabling and transformers will struggle to cope
By Madeleine Cuff
2 May 2025
Facebook / Meta
Twitter / X icon
Linkedin
Reddit
Email
Hot weather can stress power linesPeter Lane/Alamy
Rising summer temperatures pose a blackout threat to the UK’s electrical grid, with crucial equipment such as transformers and cabling ill-equipped to cope with the climate of the future. In a worst-case scenario, extreme heat could cause multiple equipment failures across the country, triggering widespread power outages similar to those seen last month in Spain and Portugal.
The UK’s Met Office predicts temperatures of 40°C (104°F) or more could be recorded in the country every three to four years by the end of the century unless urgent action is taken globally to…
Advertisement
if (window.adverts) {
window.adverts.addToArray({"pos": "sidebar-slot" });
}
Sign up to our weekly newsletter
Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox!
We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist
events and special offers.
Sign up
Innovative antivenom may work against the world's deadliest snakes do sex
How time-tracking apps can help you get more done - and my 4 favorite do sex
