Power Failures In Britain Cause Much Inconvenience

Wanganui Chronicle, 25 May 1948, Page 5

Power Failures In Britain Cause Much Inconvenience

London, May 23. Trams, electric trolley-buses, and underground trains stopped, traffic lights went out, the BBC went dead and thousands of London housewives were left with Sunday joints half cooked when a two-hour failure occurred at noon in the northern London electricity supply system. A second two-hour failure, coinciding with a sudden drop in temperature, caused a dim-out or black-out In a large section of the London area tonight. A black-out prevailed in Sussex, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire and Devonshire and disrupted electric transport in many areas of London. The airport lights failed during a Customs’ examination ot passengers from incoming planes. In many parts of England, temperatures dropped from the 70’s to 43 degrees. Snow fell in Wales and Scotland. Electricity undertakings have warned householders to economise tomorrow and said that further failures are likely. (N. Z. P. A. —Reuter—Copyright) Recd. 11.50 p.m. London, May 24 Drizzling rain and temperatures only just above 40deg. in many parts of Britain caused electric power cuts in the southern half of the country because of the excessive demand. The authorities said the weather was the sole cause of the cuts today, whereas extensive breakdowns in the grid system were responsible for the blackout in large sections of the country last night.