1 February 2024
First Emergency Alert used in Plymouth
The first UK Emergency Alert was used in Plymouth in February 2024, following the nationwide test of the system in 2023, according to an official resilience forum.
Staying Informed news
We cover news from public bodies and utility companies for UK households on power cuts, weather, water, health, safety and security. Each report includes the date and sources, with links to our guides.
February 2024
January 2024
23 January 2024
Storm Jocelyn expected to cause further disruption
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks says it is ready to respond to Storm Jocelyn on Tuesday and Wednesday, after Storm Isha left just under 800 customers in the north of Scotland without power…
23 January 2024
Southern Water issues first statement on suspicious activity
Southern Water has confirmed that data from part of its server estate was stolen in an illegal intrusion into its IT systems, and is notifying customers and employees whose personal data may be at…
22 January 2024
OPSS issues Withdrawal Notices for UPP Battery e-bike battery packs over fire risk
The Office for Product Safety and Standards has issued Withdrawal Notices requiring distributors to remove UPP Battery e-bike battery packs from sale after finding they present a serious risk of fire.
21 January 2024
Met Office issues Amber weather warning for strong winds for Storm Isha across the North East and Yorkshire
The Met Office has issued an Amber weather warning for strong winds across the North East and Yorkshire for Sunday 21 and Monday 22 January 2024, with Northern Powergrid warning of possible disruption…
3 January 2024
Longest junior doctors' strike planned for January 2024
Junior doctors in England plan to strike from 7.00am on 3 January to 7.00am on 9 January 2024, action NHS England describes as the longest ever by junior doctors.
2 January 2024
Storm forecast to hit central southern England with gusts over 55mph inland and over 60mph in coastal areas and higher ground
SSEN has activated contingency plans and stood up additional teams ahead of a storm forecast to bring gusts over 55mph inland and over 60mph in coastal areas and higher ground across central southern…
December 2023
27 December 2023
Met Office issues Yellow Weather Warning for Rain across North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has reported a Met Office Yellow Weather Warning for Rain across North Yorkshire, with several towns most likely to be affected and rivers expected to peak on…
22 December 2023
NHS 24 warns 111 service is busy over festive public holiday weekends
NHS 24 has warned that the 111 phone service in Scotland will be very busy over the festive public holiday weekends and that calls may take longer to answer.
21 December 2023
Met Office yellow wind warning covers North Yorkshire
The Met Office put a yellow wind warning in place from midnight for North Yorkshire and other parts of the UK, expected to last all day on Thursday 21 December, with Northern Powergrid warning of…
1 December 2023
Emergency Alerts service launched and ready to use
The government has launched the Emergency Alerts service, which sends warnings to compatible smartphones when there is an imminent threat to life, and says it is now fully operational.
1 December 2023
Major communication providers sign PSTN charter
Major UK communication providers signed a voluntary government agreement in December 2023 to protect vulnerable customers, including telecare users, during the migration of landlines to digital…
November 2023
24 November 2023
Hunter Price licensed hot water bottles recalled over burns risk
Four Hunter Price licensed hot water bottles, sold in Hogwarts, Barbie and Gabby's Dollhouse designs, have been recalled because a weak joint at the top seam may pose a burns risk.
September 2023
2 September 2023
NHS England survey finds nearly half of adults in England not confident in spotting heart attack signs
NHS England survey finds 45% of adults in England are not confident they could recognise heart attack signs, and 36% would not call 999 for chest pain.
August 2023
29 August 2023
Permanent software fix applied to BT 999 platform
BT introduced a permanent software configuration fix and improved its process for moving to the backup system after a fault disrupted 999 calls across the UK on 25 June 2023.
15 August 2023
NHS launches campaign to help people spot a heart attack
NHS England has launched a campaign, with an advert running from this week, urging people to call 999 at the early signs of a heart attack, as hospital admissions return to pre-pandemic levels.
1 August 2023
Failure of the NATS Flight Planning System caused significant flight delays and cancellations
A failure of the National Air Traffic Services Flight Planning System in August 2023 caused significant delays and cancellations to flights to and from the UK, the Cabinet Office has said.
July 2023
13 July 2023
NCMD report shows 85% rise in child drownings in England with ethnic minority and deprived-area children most at risk
A University of Bristol report co-authored by the Royal Life Saving Society UK found child drownings in England rose from 20 in 2019/20 to 37 in 2021/22, with higher risk for Black children and…
June 2023
25 June 2023
Disruption to 999 emergency call services across the UK
Ofcom has opened an investigation into BT after emergency call services were disrupted across the UK on 25 June 2023, examining whether BT failed to meet its regulatory obligations.
25 June 2023
Nationwide 999 outage disrupts Public Emergency Call Service for a day
A software fault on BT's 999 platform on 25 June 2023 disrupted the Public Emergency Call Service across the UK for more than ten hours, leaving 9,641 callers unable to reach the emergency services.