Cotswolds locals to be left without power for EIGHT HOURS in heatwave

Cotswolds locals in Oxfordshire are set to be left without power for eight hours during the record-breaking UK heatwave.

The UK saw the June temperature record officially broken on Wednesday (June 24) after 50 years, with highs reaching 36°C.

This came amid a red weather warning being put in place by the Met Office for this week, covering the South East, including Oxfordshire.

Residents in the west of the county are now worried about how they will combat the unprecedented warmth, given the news of a power cut to the area.

READ MORE: UK’s June temperature record broken after 50 years amid heatwave

Oxfordshire resident Matt Slauson has described the Cotswolds power cut as “dangerous and reckless”. (Image: Matt Slauson)

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is set to cut power to a large area outside Chipping Norton between 9am and 5pm on Thursday (June 25).

Matt Slauson, who lives in the area, has slammed the decision to go ahead with the works as “reckless and dangerous”.

“With schools closing, trains being cancelled, and officials urging extreme caution, SSEN is ploughing ahead with a planned eight-hour power outage, despite temperature forecasts as high as 38°C,” he said.

“When speaking with a company representative, I was told to drink water, stay indoors, and limit movement — and that the outage was scheduled and would proceed regardless.

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The power will be cut in the Cotswolds on Thursday. (Image: Newsquest)

“No power means not only no air conditioning and fans, but it also means limited cold water, as fridges and freezers will also be shut down.

“With temperatures so high, this decision is dangerous and reckless, and SSEN is needlessly endangering customers while refusing to offer flexibility around an extreme weather event.”

The 35-year-old got in touch directly with SSEN, which described the outage as “inconvenient”, but confirmed that it would still go ahead.

A spokesperson for SSEN said: “I have discussed your concerns with the individual responsible for this outage.

READ MORE: UK parents warned as over 1,000 schools closed after red warning

Oxfordshire resident Matt Slauson has described the Cotswolds power cut as “dangerous and reckless”. (Image: Matt Slauson)

“Unfortunately, the interruption is necessary to enable a new connection to our network, and we are obligated to provide a supply to customers requesting this type of work.

“We undertake extensive planning before carrying out any scheduled work and fully recognise that interruptions to electricity supply are inconvenient.

“For this reason, we aim to provide as much advance notice as possible, rather than relying solely on the statutory minimum notice period of 48 hours set by our regulator.

“Please be assured that we will continue to monitor the situation and take any appropriate action if required.”

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Councillor Bethia Thomas, from Oxfordshire County Council, has also spoken about the outage and revealed a worried resident had been in touch.

The resident said: “It just seems unreasonable to cut the power on one of the hottest days of the year.

“[Especially] when an extreme heat warning has been issued, and schools have been closed, so children will be at home.”

This newspaper approached SSEN for comment and a spokesperson later confirmed that the works have now been postponed.

An official statement read: “Planned outages on the network are essential to deliver the safe, reliable network our millions of customers depend on every single day.

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“The extent of our networks means that planned works need to be conducted whenever it is possible to do so.

“During periods of extreme weather like those currently being experienced, the teams planning these works carry out dynamic risk assessments in the hours before works are to due to begin.

“This process has been ongoing today, and owing to the temperatures which have actually been observed over the past few hours, and the increasing certainty of very high temperatures again tomorrow, a decision has been taken to postpone the Planned Supply Interruption that was due to affect 31 customers in the Chipping Norton area on Thursday, June 25.

“Now, a decision to postpone planned works has been taken, and customers who would have been affected will be contacted directly.

“These essential works will be rescheduled at the earliest available opportunity.”