Connect with us

Published

on

Last year was the warmest on record, the first to breach a symbolic threshold, and brought with it deadly impacts like flooding and drought, scientists have said.

Two new datasets found 2024 was the first calendar year when average global temperatures exceeded 1.5C above pre-industrial levels – before humans started burning fossil fuels at scale.

The record heat has not only has real-world implications, as it contributed to deadly flooding in Spain and vicious drought in places like Zambia in southern Africa.

It is also highly symbolic.

Countries agreed in the landmark Paris Agreement to limit warming ideally to 1.5C, because after that the impacts would be much more dangerous.

The news arrives as California battles “hell on earth” wildfires, suspected to have been exacerbated by climate change.

And it comes as experts warn support for the Paris goals is “more fragile than ever” – with Donald Trump and the Argentinian president poised to row back on climate action.

More on Climate Change

What caused 2024 record heat – and is it here to stay?

Friends of the Earth called today’s findings from both the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change service and the Met Office “deeply disturbing”.

The “primary driver” of heat in the last two years was climate change from human activity, but the temporary El Nino weather phenomenon also contributed, they said.

The breach in 2024 does not mean the world has forever passed 1.5C of warming – as that would only be declared after several years of doing so, and warming may slightly ease this year as El Nino has faded.

But the world is “teetering on the edge” of doing so, Copernicus said.

Prof Piers Forster, chair of the UK’s Climate Change Committee, called it a “foretaste of life at 1.5C”.

Dr Gabriel Pollen, Zambia’s national coordinator for disasters, said “no area of life and the economy is untouched” by the country’s worst drought in more than 100 years.

Six million people face starvation, critical hydropower has plummeted, blackouts are frequent, industry is “decimated”, and growth has halved, he said.

Paris goal ‘not obsolete’

Scientists were at pains to point out it is not too late to curb worse climate change, urging leaders to maintain and step up climate action.

Professor Forster said temporarily breaching 1.5C “does not mean the goal is obsolete”, but that we should “double down” on slashing greenhouse gas emissions and on adapting to a hotter world.

The Met Office said “every fraction of a degree” still makes a difference to the severity of extreme weather.

Firefighters battle the Palisades fire as it burns during a windstorm on the west side of Los Angeles.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
The California fires were whipped up by strong, dry winds and likely worsened by climate change. Pic: Reuters

Copernicus director Carlo Buontempo added: “The future is in our hands: swift and decisive action can still alter the trajectory of our future climate”.

Climate action is ‘economic opportunity’

Copernicus found that global temperatures in 2024 averaged 15.10°C, the hottest in records going back to 1850, making it 1.60°C above the pre-industrial level during 1850-1900.

The Met Office’s data found 2024 was 1.53C above pre-industrial levels.

The figures are global averages, which smooth out extremes from around the world into one number. That is why it still might have felt cold in some parts of the world last year.

Greenpeace campaigner Philip Evans said as “the world’s most powerful climate denier” Donald Trump returns to the White House, others must “take up the mantle of global climate leadership”.

The UK’s climate minister Kerry McCarthy said the UK has been working with other countries to cut global emissions, as well as greening the economy at home.

“Not only is this crucial for our planet, it is the economic opportunity of the 21st century… tackling the climate crisis while creating new jobs, delivering energy security and attracting new investment into the UK.”

Continue Reading

World

Mark Carney’s Liberal Party wins Canada election, according to Canadian broadcasters

Published

on

By

Mark Carney's Liberal Party wins Canada election, according to Canadian broadcasters

Mark Carney’s Liberal Party has won the election in Canada, according to Canadian broadcasters, but it is too soon to say whether they will form a majority government.

Mr Carney, who took over as prime minister after Justin Trudeau stepped down earlier this year, has beaten the leader of the Conservative Party Pierre Poilievre, according to CBC and CTV News projections.

However, it is too soon to say whether the Liberals will form a majority government, they added. The party has not yet secured the 172 electoral districts it needs for a majority.

FILE PHOTO: Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre speaks at an election campaign event in Brampton, Ontario, Canada April 9, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/File Photo
Image:
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. Pic: Reuters

The election initially appeared to be a clear-cut race for the opposition Conservatives, who were enjoying a double-digit lead over the Liberals before Mr Trudeau resigned, and an intervention by Donald Trump led to a surge in support for Mr Carney’s party.

Mr Trump has repeatedly called for Canada to become the 51st US state since he was elected president for a second time and has imposed sweeping tariffs on Canada.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Trump on why he wants Canada to be 51st state

Mr Carney has vowed to take a tougher approach with Washington over its tariffs and has said Canada will need to spend billions to reduce its reliance on the US.

Liberal supporters react after Canadian broadcasters project their party has retained power. Pic: Reuters
Liberal supporters react after Canadian broadcasters project their party has retained power. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Liberal supporters celebrate after Canadian broadcasters project their party has retained power. Pics: Reuters

If Mr Carney’s party only captures a minority of the House’s 343 seats, he will be forced to negotiate with other parties in order to stay in power.

Such minority governments rarely last longer than two-and-a-half years in Canada.

Canadians went to the polls after 11 people were killed in a deadly attack at a Vancouver street fair over the weekend that led to the suspension of campaigning for several hours.

Police have ruled out terrorism and said the suspect is a local man with a history of mental health issues.

Follow The World
Follow The World

Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday

Tap to follow

Mr Carney previously ran Canada’s central bank and later became the first non-Briton to become governor of the Bank of England.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Continue Reading

World

Power returning in Spain and Portugal after large parts hit by blackout – but what caused it?

Published

on

By

Power returning in Spain and Portugal after large parts hit by blackout - but what caused it?

Power supplies have been returning in Spain and Portugal after large parts, including the capitals Madrid and Lisbon, were hit by a huge outage on Monday.

Millions of people were caught up in the chaos after the mass blackout brought many areas to a standstill, with trains stopping, planes grounded, internet and mobile phone services cut, traffic lights and ATMs down, and some routine hospital operations suspended.

Spain‘s interior ministry declared a national emergency and the two countries’ governments convened emergency cabinet meetings as officials tried to find out what caused the outage which started around 12.30pm (11.30am UK time).

A police car passes as vehicles wait in a traffic jam on the other side of the road in Madrid. Pic: Reuters
Image:
A police car passes as vehicles wait in a traffic jam on the other side of the road in Madrid. Pic: Reuters

People gather outside Barcelona-Sants train station during a power outage. Pic: Reuters
Image:
People gather outside Barcelona-Sants train station during a power outage. Pic: Reuters

Blackouts in Spain and Portugal: Follow latest updates

About half the electricity supplies in Spain have now been restored by the grid operator, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday evening, adding the rest should be back by Tuesday.

In a televised address, Mr Sanchez said authorities have not yet worked out what had caused the blackout in the Iberian Peninsula and were not ruling anything out.

He asked the public to refrain from speculation, and urged people to call emergency services only if really necessary.

Eduardo Prieto, the head of operations at Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica, said the event was unprecedented, calling it “exceptional and extraordinary”.

Meanwhile, Portugal‘s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said power in his country would be fully restored in the coming hours.

He said all the state services remained operating in the country despite all the difficulties. He also said there was “no indication” a cyberattack was the cause.

Read more: Analysis – How electricity grids fail

A cook from "La Cocinona" home-made take out food restaurant works in a dark kitchen with the aid of phone's flashlight during a power outage in Madrid, Spain, April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Susana Vera
Image:
A chef in Madrid works in a dark kitchen with the aid of his phone’s flashlight. Pic: Reuters

Fans are seen after the matches were suspended due to a power outage.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
Fans are seen after Madrid Open matches were suspended due to a power outage. Pic: Reuters

‘Rare atmospheric phenomenon’

Portugal’s grid operator Ren claimed the outage was caused by a fault in the Spanish electricity grid, related to a “rare atmospheric phenomenon”.

Ren says that, due to extreme temperature variations in Spain, there were “anomalous oscillations” in very high-voltage lines.

It also says that given the complexity of the issue, it could take up to a week for the network to fully normalise again.

map of Portugal and Spain power outages

It comes as France briefly lost power following the outages in Spain and Portugal, French grid operator RTE said.

Parts of Madrid underground were evacuated and traffic lights in the city were not working, according to local media.

Play was suspended at the Madrid Open tennis tournament due to the outage – with Britain’s Jacob Fearnley forced off court in a critical moment during his third-round tie with Grigor Dimitrov.

The loss of power affected scoreboards and the camera above the court. Organisers later announced the tournament would not be able to resume on Monday, with afternoon and evening sessions cancelled.

What has been affected by the blackout?

Here’s what we know has been impacted so far:

:: Transport, including trains, metros and airports – with traffic lights also down.

:: Internet and mobile coverage.

:: Lighting in homes, businesses and other buildings, though backup generators are in place in many.

:: ATMs and card payments, as well as most till systems.

:: Lifts in buildings are stuck.

:: Electric car chargers and fuel pumps are also down.

:: Air conditioning units.

:: A significant quantity of water pumps, meaning some homes have no access to drinking water.

Airports affected

Aena, which runs international airports across Spain, said earlier that “some incidents were occurring” at the airports due to the outage.

The company added in a statement: “Contingency generators are active. Please check with your airline, as there may be disruptions to access and ground transportation.”

People ‘had nowhere to go’

Maddie Sephton, who is from west London, was on the Madrid Metro when the power outage occurred.

“We got on the train and everything was fine,” she told Sky News. “But then everything went dark.”

She was stuck on the train for 20 minutes until a staff member opened the doors manually.

A metro worker passes underneath barricade tape, to enter Legazpi Metro station, after the metro was closed during a power outage, in Madrid, Spain, April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Susana Vera
Image:
A metro worker passes underneath barricade tape to enter Legazpi Metro station after the outage. Pic: Reuters

A view shows a transmission tower during a power outage, near Barcelona, Spain.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
A view shows a transmission tower during a power outage near Barcelona in Spain. Pic: Reuters

Mrs Sephton says she was on her way to the airport at the time – and had to exit the station by walking up 15 flights of stairs with her luggage.

“No lifts are operating – making it difficult for elderly people with limited mobility,” she added.

Above ground, she said that “everyone is just standing around and waiting”.

A medical staffer relocates a patient during a nationwide power outage in Pamplona, northern Spain, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
Image:
Medical staff relocate a patient in Pamplona, Pic: AP

Bars were unable to take card payments, cash machines are down, and traffic lights weren’t working either.

“I currently don’t have any internet service and just €15 in my wallet – I can’t withdraw any money from the ATM,” she added.

“A couple have offered to let us get a ride in their taxi to the airport. Their flight is at 4.30pm so they’re pretty relaxed – but my flight back to London is at 3pm and I’m nervous.”

Mrs Sephton said: “People are just walking but have nowhere to go, and nothing to do.”

Traffic lights have stopped working following a power outage in downtown Lisbon, Portugal.
Pic: AP
Image:
Traffic lights have stopped working following a power outage in downtown Lisbon, Portugal. Pic: AP

People try to board a crowded bus after the subway stopped running following a power outage in Lisbon, Portugal.
Pic: AP
Image:
People try to board a crowded bus after the subway stopped running following a power outage in Lisbon, Portugal. Pic: AP

Meanwhile, thousands of passengers had to be evacuated after the blackout left the metro service in Barcelona without power.

The blackout was also reported to have forced the closure of the city’s tram system and rendered some traffic lights there inoperable.

It has also impacted medical facilities, with hospitals in Madrid and Catalonia forced to suspend routine medical work. Staff have been able to attend to critical patients using power from backup generators.

Follow The World
Follow The World

Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday

Tap to follow

It comes as Metrovalencia, the urban rail system, encompassing both metro and tram services in Valencia, said traffic in the city was “disrupted” due to a “general power outage in the city”.

The outage also hit the Portuguese capital Lisbon and surrounding areas, as well as northern and southern parts of the country.

Portugal’s government said the incident appeared to stem from problems outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa.

“It looks like it was a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain. It’s still being ascertained,” Cabinet Minister Leitão Amaro was quoted as saying.

Continue Reading

World

How electricity grids fail – and why restoring Spain and Portugal’s power will be a nightmare

Published

on

By

How electricity grids fail - and why restoring Spain and Portugal's power will be a nightmare

We rarely think about how essential and reliable electricity grids are until they fail.

Now, millions of people across Spain, Portugal and parts of France are likely thinking of little else.

While local power cuts are fairly common, what’s happened across the Iberian peninsula is something far more extreme.

Much of Spain and Portugal’s electricity transmission system collapsed in seconds including in major cities Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona and Seville.

Blackouts latest: ‘Rare atmospheric phenomenon’ behind outages

It’s likely the outage will surpass Europe’s largest blackout to date when 56 million people in Italy and Switzerland lost power for up to 12 hours in 2023.

The cause of the outage is unclear. Portugal’s grid operator has blamed a “rare atmospheric phenomenon” that caused “anomalous oscillations” in high voltage power lines in Spain.

More from Science, Climate & Tech

Spain’s grid operator has yet to respond to that or provide an update on the cause. But it’s unlikely whatever caused the outage was a single, localised event.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Mayhem in Spain after major power outage

A major power line going down can cause a large outage – as it did in 2021, when an interconnector between France and Spain failed leaving a million people without power for a few hours.

But it’s unlikely to cause a system-wide failure of the kind we’re seeing now.

However, when things do start to fail on a power grid, they can cascade uncontrollably.

Keeping a grid running is a constant and highly complex balancing act.

People wait outside a terminal at Lisbon Airport during a power outage which hit large parts of Portugal, in Lisbon, Portugal, April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
Image:
People outside a terminal at Lisbon Airport during the blackout. Pic: Reuters

Spain’s mains AC electricity supply grid, like ours in the UK, runs at 50Hz. That frequency is based on the speed at which generating hardware such as gas and nuclear turbines spin.

If there are sudden fluctuations in power supply or demand – a power station failing or a high voltage power line going down, for example – the frequency of AC power in the transmission lines changes and circuit breakers trip to protect either the transmission network, or power plant hardware from burning out.

To prevent such failures, grid engineers constantly measure and forecast supply and demand to keep the grid balanced.

More from Sky News:
The 3G switch-off explained
Just Stop Oil holds final protest

To protect the system in emergencies, they occasionally have to “shed load” by cutting power to parts of the grid – the reason we’ve all experienced the occasional short-lived power cut.

But if balance is lost, a grid can fail in a domino effect with sections of the grid tripping, then power plants shutting down to protect themselves from the drop in demand, one after another.

The challenge now, and it’s a nightmare for Spain and Portugal’s power engineers, is to gradually restore the grid section by section while maintaining the balance of supply and demand.

Act too fast, and the grid can trip again. Take too long and some power plants or substations might struggle to restart – especially if they rely on battery power to do so.

While some regions of Spain have already had power restored, and Portugal says its power will be back to normal within hours, it could take much longer for the system to be fully restored.

Continue Reading

Trending