Environment
As climate change pushes summer temperatures to new highs, energy infrastructure such as cabling and transformers will struggle to cope
Hot weather can stress power lines
Peter 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…
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