Looting, riots & total lockdown… how UK could be plunged into CHAOS by mass blackout far more horrific than Spain panic

Scottish Sun

29-04-2025

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FOR the near 70 million people living in the UK a national power outage could plunge the country into days of chaos like never seen before.
Looters running riot on the streets, hospitals overwhelmed by untreated patients and families taking shelter could all await if the panic flooding though Spain is ever felt in Britain.
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People have been forced to sleep on the ground of railway stations and airports due to Spain's power outages
Credit: AFP
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A family huddle round candles after being hit by a power outage
Credit: Getty
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British police would be on high alert for looting and riots if a national power outage occurred
Credit: Getty
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Supermarket shelves could be cleaned out as people start to panic buy
Credit: AP:Associated Press
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Society would most likely be crippled until the power can be restored with the UK virtually sent back to the stone age due to our high reliance on electronics.
Mobile phones would be rendered useless, TVs would be shut off and even traffic lights would cease to function.
Trains and planes would be halted in place until the systems to operate them could be restored again.
Anyone using electrical and even some gas powered cooking devices could even be forced to go hungry or rely on simple cold dishes.
Chris Owens, Marketing Manager for Riello UPS Ltd, a power supply manufacturer, said: "Without electricity to power this digital world, our whole way of life quickly falls apart.'
Back in 2023, Mr Owens even revealed that there is a 1-in-200 chance that the grid will fail in the next five years, according to official government risk assessments uncovered online.
And it has now emerged that Britain's National Energy System Operator (NESO) is investigating several mystery outages in the system which were felt just hours before Spain was plunged into darkness.
Spain, along with much of Portugal, has faced massive turmoil in recent days with entire airports and metro systems grinding to a halt due to a mass power outage crisis.
The UK has so far been widely unaffected by the severe disruptions to the south of Europe.
But an expert has told The Sun if Britain faces a similar catastrophe then it could face much more misery and travel despair than Spain.
Spain and Portugal power outage – Sweeping blackouts shut down internet & grind transport to a halt
Early on Tuesday morning, Spanish power company Red Eléctrica (REE) said 99.95 per cent of the power was officially back on.
This rapid response meant the grid was offline for less than 24 hours.
NESO, formally known as the National Grid in the UK, does keep track of the grid and how it is operating with regular tests being run on the power lines to ensure its stability.
But their official plans on how long it could take Britain's power to be completely resorted states it will take up to seven days to be back to 100 per cent.
And Iain Staffell, reader in sustainable energy at Imperial College London, told The Sun the UK will face a major struggle to get the systems running smoothly again.
Without electricity to power this digital world, our whole way of life quickly falls apart
Chris Owens
He said: "It is difficult getting a power system back up and running as it is technically a massive challenge.
"You've got this real problem of keeping supply and demand in almost perfect balance every second to keep it stable.
"And it is this very kind of delicate balancing act to get it all back online which would make it be slow."
Mr Staffell added: "It is a complex countrywide issue as you'd have to almost go postcode by postcode, reconnecting houses and offices."
And so if the entirety of the UK was hit by an outage on a much larger scale then it would debilitate society as we know it for some time, experts fear.
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Passengers wait at a train station in Madrid as the rail network was severely hampered due to the power outage
Credit: AFP
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Emergency responders in Spain handing out supplies to those who need them most
Credit: Reuters
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11 trains in Spain were left stranded for up to 12 hours on Monday
Credit: AFP
24 HOURS OF CHAOS
Any major outage on British soil would have huge consequences with mobile phone coverage one of the widest sectors to be hit the most.
It would likely take only a few hours for Britain's phone networks to completely drop as all of our devices disconnect.
Wi-Fi connections would vanish first - just like many of us have faced during a power cut - leaving phones and TVs unsupported from any network.
A complete outage could then lead to phones losing signal and mean calls and messages don't go through at all.
Another major issue with an electricity shutdown that could plague millions is when any devices run out of charge.
They wouldn't be able to recharge and turn back on until the grid is up and running again.
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Heathrow Airport was closed after an inferno at a substation in Hayes
Credit: UKNIP
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Traffic lights would't work after long with traffic being left in turmoil
Credit: John Gunnion
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Train boards would show no journeys due to the electricity blackout
Credit: PA:Press Association
For those who still have access to a traditional landline then they will likely work for up to five days.
Elsewhere, electronic payment systems like card readers will stop working.
This would make paying for any key safety supplies impossible for both the shopper and the store unless they have cash.
Mr Staffell said this is one of many reasons why the UK may be seen as under prepared for a nationwide blackout.
He described society as being on a "knife edge" due to how accustomed the British public has become to "the comforts that come from electricity".
The energy expert added: "I think, more so than at any time in the past, we're now so dependent on the internet and everything.
"Think of how many shops now have a sign saying they're cash free but if all the payment systems go down then you can't buy stuff.
"And if you don't have much food in your cupboards then how are you going to get more as loads of people don't even have cash in their house because we're so used to paying on our phones or with cards."
Inside the 'black start' protocol
THE "worst-case scenario" for the UK would be a complete grid failure which requires a complete restart to the network, Mr Owens says.
Energy companies would be forced to agree to run a "black start" to reboot the entire grid to return us to normal.
Isolated power stations would be started up individually before being gradually reconnected to each other in order to reform an interconnected skeleton system, according to National Energy System Operator (NESO).
This will then continue to build and build over time until supplies start to get back to what they were before the outage.
But this could take anywhere between five to seven days for power to be completely restored across the UK, Owens added.
The London Resilience Partnership has outlined a plan which suggests just over 10 per cent customers could see their power turned back on within 24 hours.
After 48 hours, around 60 per cent of households will have power resorted if they are connected to one of the power stations which manages to reboot.
But the UK has never actually experienced a nationwide blackout that requires a "black start" procedure.
But shops could face a pair of even more worrying issues should a nationwide power outage ever take place.
Firstly, hysteria could run riot across the UK and lead to people stocking up on food, water and basic goods as they fear for the worst.
In similar scenes to at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, locals could run to their nearest shops and begin to clear the shelves in panic of how long the outage could last.
This desire to stock up supplies within the first few hours of an outage would be increased when people notice their fridges and freezers turning off.
Ovens, hobs, microwaves and air fryers would all shut down at the same time - resulting in a full family meal being cooked as an uphill task.
Within hours of a major blackout, transport will also be badly affected.
It is this very kind of delicate balancing act to get it all back online which would make it be slow
Iain Staffell
Trains, trams and planes won't be able to move at all as they all reply on power and electricity - meaning all journeys will be cancelled.
Those unlucky passengers who were on board public transport at the moment the grid shuts off will end up being stranded.
In Spain, 11 trains were suspended mid journey on Monday with passengers forced to wait for up to 12 hours to be rescued.
The UK recorded around 1.4 billion rail passengers in 2023, according to the Office of Rail and Road.
In the same year, Spain's rail network saw approximately 525 million passengers, according to data from Renfe, Spain's national rail operator.
This could mean Brits will face travel woes on a much more worrying scale if an outage takes place.
At this point, one of the only forms of communication will be through the radio.
A mass blackout in the UK could be caused by a number of reasons from a cyber attack to a freak weather phenomenon.
Storms or floods can often trip power services and back in 2019, a million people around London were left without power after a lightning strike struck a power line.
Solar flares from the Sun can even crash into Earth and cause geomagnetic storms which interfere with the power, navigation and communication systems.
NATIONAL MELTDOWN
Another issue on the retail industry would be the serious threat of looting.
Shops would likely be forced to completely close down due to the lack of power within 72 hours.
They wouldn't be able to accept card payments, operate any lights, heaters or cooling systems or even use their CCTV.
This could lead to the streets of Britain falling into disarray as people try to salvage any last goods from shops.
And with the lack of camera and surveillance systems in place, it could turn violent.
The UK was rocked by despicable thugs last August who committed looting and smashed up shops in scenes the government would be desperate to avoid.
Electronic tags to keep an eye on newly released or notable offenders would also be turned off.
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A worker assists a customer with a torch at a supermarket during a power outage which hit large parts of Spain
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London's Tube network would be in turmoil with passengers unable to catch any transport underground
Credit: Getty
Policing and all emergency services would also be impeded by a blackout.
Cops wouldn't be able to operate like normal to catch any criminals meaning anarchy could run rampant.
Hospitals would also end up in a seriously worrying position.
GP surgeries, pharmacies, and hotlines would all be offline due to the lack of mobile networks.
Anyone with an issue they feel requires help would therefore have to go to A&E and to their nearest clinic to get help.
Mr Staffell believes the lack of hot, clean water and heating in many households could cause even more issues as the time it takes to restore the power increases.
He said: "There's going to be a lot of people who would be stuck in the cold, and if you do that for more than a day you'll start seeing people with young babies, elderly people and those who are recovering from hospital at real risk."
Inside the hospitals, a lack of staffing due to travel restrictions would cause key issues with treating patients.
Even for those who can be seen, a lack of medical supplies could leave them in a precarious situation with no further shipments being delivered.
Many key pieces of equipment used for surgeries and recovery may also be shut off due to a lack of electricity.
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Some people left their cars in traffic as the power cuts struck Spain on Monday
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Energy companies could be forced to agree to run a 'black start' to reboot the entire grid to return us to normal
Credit: AFP or licensors
Public transport would also remain seriously hampered with cars and buses beginning to suffer as well due to petrol stations being out of action.
The mains tap water could also vanish in a matter of days meaning clean water is no longer viable.
Britain's reliance on power was on full display just a month ago.
A disastrous power failure at one of the substations near Heathrow Airport caused over 18 hours of issues for travellers.
Heathrow was forced to shut down with more than 300,000 passengers being affected by over 100 cancelled flights.
Even when the power returns many issues will be ongoing.
Airports will have to compensate for the missed flights and a major backlog will have to be addressed by hospitals.
Shops may have to repair stores if looting has taken place and in the worst cases some people may be forced to deal with loved ones who have struggled throughout the blackout period.
While a complete blackout in the UK remains very unlikely to experts they have urged people to consider creating a survival kit.
This would involve a number of simple things which would be useful in the case of a blackout should homes go into lockdown.
A battery powered torch and radio, non-perishable tinned foods and even some entertainment are all recommended.
The day Europe stood still
By Juliana Cruz Lima, Foreign News Reporter
CHAOS erupted across Spain and Portugal as the continent was rocked by its biggest-ever blackout.
Traffic lights failed, mobile networks collapsed, and desperate residents queued outside shops, petrol stations and banks to grab supplies and cash.
In Madrid, emergency crews carried out 286 rescues to free people trapped in lifts, while passengers in Portugal were forced to flee darkened underground tunnels.
Spain's Interior Ministry declared a national emergency and deployed 30,000 police to maintain order as both governments held emergency cabinet meetings.
Airports in Lisbon, Madrid and Barcelona ground to a halt, with hundreds of flights delayed or cancelled, leaving tens of thousands of British tourists stranded.
Supermarkets emptied fast as panic-buyers cleared shelves of essentials like batteries, water and generators.
Hospitals across the region were forced onto back-up generators, while Spain's prime minister Pedro Sanchez urged citizens to stay calm, limit travel and use phones sparingly.
Despite frantic efforts to restore power, authorities warned it could take several days for full normality to return – and investigations into what caused the blackout are still ongoing.
The blackout has already been dubbed the worst in European history – eclipsing the 2003 outage that hit 56 million people in Italy and Switzerland.