Is there going to be a worldwide blackout? What the UK record says, and what it doesn't
None of the official sources we read forecasts a worldwide blackout. Friday's 'global outage' was Microsoft's IT services, not electricity, and space weather is quiet: Kp 0.67, our tracker's lowest daily reading since 29 October.
None of the official sources we read on 13 November 2026 forecasts a worldwide blackout. The "global outage" in Friday's headlines, including NHS services in Essex, was a Microsoft IT outage affecting Outlook and Teams, not a loss of electricity. NESO, which runs Britain's grid, says of this winter: "We are not forecasting blackouts." The government's National Risk Register does plan for two things that could cut power on a large scale: a nationwide outage across Great Britain, which it says has never happened and whose likelihood is low, and severe space weather, whose impacts it says "would be global". Both are worst-case planning scenarios, not predictions. Space weather is quiet today: NOAA's planetary K-index stood at 0.67 at 15:00 UTC on 13 November, our tracker's lowest daily reading since 29 October, and the Met Office has no space weather notifications active. You don't need to buy anything because of this question.
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By Tom Calder · Updated 13 November 2026 · Sourced to the Cabinet Office's National Risk Register 2026, NESO's Winter Outlook 2026/27 and Electricity System Restoration Standard, the Met Office space weather forecast (issued 12:09 GMT on 13 November 2026) and impacts page, NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center K-index and scales, Microsoft's service status page, the GOV.UK Be Ready power cuts page, and our own space weather tracker, all read on 13 November 2026
Is there going to be a worldwide blackout?
People are typing this question after a day of "global outage" headlines. The answer from the official record: none of the sources we read, from the UK government, Britain's grid operator, the Met Office or the US space weather forecaster, says a worldwide blackout is coming or gives a date for one. Nor can any of them rule out every large outage, and they don't try to.
This page sticks to what those sources say. For what a total loss of power across Great Britain would look like and how power would come back, our 7 November fact-check, What is a 'Black Sky event'?, has the detail.
Friday's 'global outage' was Microsoft, not the power grid
The Gazette's story, headlined online as "Global outage 'impacting' NHS services across Essex", says: "A global Microsoft outage has disrupted digital communications at NHS Essex." It reports that NHS Essex said systems including Outlook and Teams were affected. The page's own headline calls it a "Microsoft power outage", but the article describes Microsoft's online services, not electricity.
Microsoft's status page still showed "Service degradation" for its consumer services when we read it at 20:35 UK time. Its latest update, at 20:03, said customers "may see improved sign-in/access" while email catches up, and: "We do not have an ETA for full recovery yet." Our Microsoft outage story covers what it means at home.
What Britain's grid operator says about this winter
NESO, the National Energy System Operator, balances electricity across Great Britain. Its Winter Outlook 2026/27 is headed "Britain's electricity supplies expected to remain secure this winter". It says: "We expect a margin of 5.9 GW this winter, equivalent to around 9.5% above peak demand." And: "We are not forecasting blackouts."
It adds that, as in any winter, there may be days when margins are tighter, and that it can then use its usual operational tools to balance the system. That is about national supply; our guide to power cuts this winter explains how it differs from the local cuts that reach homes.
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What the National Risk Register plans for
The government's National Risk Register 2026 has no scenario for a worldwide blackout. Its nearest risk is a "National power outage", a failure of the transmission network across Great Britain. It says: "Great Britain has never experienced a nationwide loss of power and the likelihood is low, however, similar events have occurred internationally." Its example is the 2025 outage across Spain and Portugal. It rates the likelihood at 1–5% over five years and the impact as catastrophic.
In its worst case, about 60% of demand would be back within two days, and "Beyond 7 days we expect full and stable power restored to all of Great Britain." From 31 December 2026, NESO must be able to restore 100% of Great Britain's demand within five days. These are planning scenarios, not predictions. Our National Risk Register guide covers the risks most likely to touch a home.
Space weather: the one risk the register calls global
The register's "Severe space weather" risk is based on a storm "approximately the same scale and magnitude as the Carrington Storm of 1859, lasting for 1‑2 weeks". It says: "The impacts of severe space weather would be global, although the magnitude would vary". The impacts it lists include "regional power disruptions" and loss of GPS, not a worldwide blackout. It rates that worst case at 5–25% over five years, with a significant impact: a higher likelihood than a nationwide outage, and a lower impact score.
On recovery, it says power lost to safety trips in towns "could be recovered in a matter of hours", but replacing damaged transformers in remote coastal areas could take "several months". The Met Office says the UK grid "has much shorter and more highly connected transmission lines than those in North America so it is less susceptible to space weather."
What space weather is doing today
Quiet. NOAA's planetary K-index, a measure of geomagnetic disturbance, was 0.67 for the three hours from 15:00 UTC on 13 November. That is our space weather tracker's lowest daily reading since 29 October (0.33). NOAA's scale starts storms at Kp 5 (G1), where "Weak power grid fluctuations can occur"; only at G5 (Kp 9) does it say some grids "may experience complete collapse or blackouts".
For balance, the past fortnight was livelier: our tracker logged Kp 6 on 31 October and NOAA's data peaked at Kp 5.33 on 7 November. The Met Office forecast, issued at 12:09 GMT on 13 November, says "There are no Earth-directed CMEs" and expects "Mainly Quiet (Kp0-2)" conditions, with "only a slight chance of an isolated G1/Minor geomagnetic storm (Kp5)" around 16 November.
What to do at home
Nothing new. The government's Be Ready power-cuts advice is the same for a local cut as for a long one: "Keep a battery or wind-up torch (and spare batteries) at home. Torches are safer than candles." Keep a battery or wind-up radio, "at least 3 days' worth of bottled water (3 litres per person per day)", and a small amount of cash.
Write down the power-cut number: "this is 105 in England, Scotland and Wales and 03457 643643 in Northern Ireland." Our emergency kit list goes through the rest, and much of it is probably in your cupboards already.
Common questions
Is there going to be a worldwide blackout?
None of the official sources we read on 13 November 2026 forecasts one. NESO says it is "not forecasting blackouts" this winter, the National Risk Register has no worldwide-blackout scenario, and space weather is quiet, with a Kp of 0.67 at 15:00 UTC on 13 November.
Was the global outage on 13 November a power cut?
No. It was a Microsoft outage affecting online services such as Outlook and Teams, including at NHS Essex, according to the Gazette's report. Microsoft's status page described it as a "Service degradation" of its Microsoft 365 services.
Could a solar storm cause a blackout in the UK?
The National Risk Register plans for a severe space weather event like the 1859 Carrington storm, and lists "regional power disruptions" among the possible impacts, with some lost power recovered in hours and damaged transformers taking months. The Met Office says the UK grid is less susceptible than North America's.
Has Britain ever had a nationwide blackout?
No. The National Risk Register says: "Great Britain has never experienced a nationwide loss of power and the likelihood is low". It rates the likelihood at 1–5% over five years. Our [Black Sky event fact-check](/guides/black-sky-event-uk) covers how power would be restored.
What should I keep at home for a power cut?
The government's Be Ready advice: a battery or wind-up torch with spare batteries, a battery or wind-up radio, at least three days of bottled water at 3 litres per person per day, a small amount of cash, and the power-cut number 105 (03457 643643 in Northern Ireland) written down.
Sources (11)
- Cabinet Office, National Risk Register 2026first published 14 July 2026, updated 12 August 2026, read 13 November 2026
- Cabinet Office, National Risk Register 2026 (PDF): likelihood assessment period (p.15), National power outage (pp.118–119), Severe space weather (pp.172–173)
- NESO, Winter Outlook 2026/27 (read 13 November 2026)
- NESO, Electricity System Restoration Standard (read 13 November 2026)
- Met Office, Space weather forecast (issued 12:09 GMT, 13 November 2026)
- Met Office, Space weather impacts (read 13 November 2026)
- NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, planetary K-index (read 20:35 UTC, 13 November 2026)
- NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, NOAA Space Weather Scales
- Microsoft, Microsoft 365 service statusconsumer notice updated 20:03 UTC, 13 November 2026
- GOV.UK Be Ready, Power cuts (read 13 November 2026)
- Gazette, Global outage 'impacting' NHS services across Essex (13 November 2026), the headline checked
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