Met Office issues 24-hour power cuts warning for 54 areas on Friday

2 months ago 98

Millions of Britons have been issued with the warnings.

17:25, Wed, Jun 24, 2026 Updated: 17:35, Wed, Jun 24, 2026

Electricity power outage or blackout emergency turning on or off circuit breaker on electrical fuse board

Power cuts can be caused by extreme heat (Image: Getty)

The Met Office has warned of potential power cuts in several parts of the UK as the blistering heatwave continues this week. An amber warning for extreme heat is in place for London & the South East, East Midlands, East of England, North West England, South West England, West Midlands, and Yorkshire & Humbur from 12am until 11.59pm on Friday, bringing hot and humid conditions both day and night.

The national weather forecaster has warned the sweltering conditions could cause "heat-sensitive systems and equipment" to break down, resulting in "power cuts and the loss of other services to homes and businesses". It added: "Population-wide adverse health effects are likely to be experienced, not limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to potential serious illness or danger to life."

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Met Office weather warnings

Amber extreme heat warnings are in place for large parts of England (Image: REACH PLC)

In the event of a power cut, the Met Office offers the following advice:

If electricity is crucial for any medical equipment you have, please contact your DNO at any time as they may be able to put you on their Priority Register or assistance during any power outage
Make sure you have multiple torches along with extra batteries
Make sure you keep your mobile phone charged so you can make calls in case of an emergency
Keep fridges and freezers closed, with a blanket over as they will stay cold for many hours
Keep important documents safe and handy
Look out for elderly neighbours and ensure they are prepared for a possible power cut
Switch off appliances - turn off items such as irons, ovens, electric fires and fryers as they could pose a hazard if the power comes back on when you are not there
For people using a digital landline who don't have a mobile phone, or who live in an area with poor/no mobile signal, speak to your communications provider about additional support they can offer you in advance

UK June 29th, 2019 Brighton beach, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. Thousands of people relax on the sun.