What happens if a ‘Black Sky’ attack hits the UK?

| Freelance News Reporter Published November 7, 2026 5:49pm Updated November 7, 2026 5:49pm Plans for a contingency BBC studio have been put in place to keep the broadcaster on air in the event of a widespread emergency (Picture: Getty Images) With a campaign underway to improve emergency planning, BBC executives are working to ensure the national broadcaster can stay on air even in the event of a large scale crisis. A contingency radio studio, dubbed Black Sky, will be able to operate without internet in case of widespread outage. The project is so secretive that only a small number of people know the exact details, although some 100 people would run the studio, which would be stocked with food and essential supplies needed to get through a crisis. Tanks of between five and 40,000 litres of diesel would be used to power generators to keep broadcasters on air using FM radio, with staff given satellite phones in order to stay in touch, the BBC reported. As for what presenters will say during a moment of national crisis, a script has already been drafted with pre-arranged government messages with key advice for citizens. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. Public advice would range from how much people should drink a day to instructions on how to dispose of waste without flushing a toilet. An insider at the Corporation said that while initial thoughts were contingency planning had to cover up to a week in crisis conditions, experts at Neso [National Energy System Operator] believe they would be able to get power back online within three days. FM radio has been chosen because it can withstand most major incidents, including a cyber-attack. Households have been told to keep an FM wind-up radio in case of a power outage and the Corporation will turn to the basic technology in order to broadcast essential advice and government messaging during a crisis (Picture: Getty Images) A wireless FM set was among essential items households have been advised have on hand in the event of a Black Sky event as part of the Government’s ‘Be Ready’ campaign. However the seemingly outdated technology is also the subject of a government review, with copper wire landlines set to be withdrawn on January 31 next year. Recent events abroad, including the power outage in Spain, Portugal and south western France in April 2025, have shown the need for readiness. But Lord Toby Harris, the chair of the National Preparedness Commission, warned that the country had lost several backup systems over the last few decades in drives to improve efficiency. He explained that a power failure would mean more than just losing light and appliances. If protracted, the incident would affect water supply which also relies on electricity in most areas, as well as sewage which could become blocked and back up without water flowing through it. Professor Roger Kemp, a specialist in safety and electrical engineering systems at Lancaster University, said the UK had gone ‘backwards’ in contingency planning. He authored a report following a 2015 outage in Lancaster when the RiverLune burst its banks, plunging more than 61,000 residents into darkness. Professor Kemp added that the forthcoming retirement of public switched phone lines showed ‘no thought at all about how you communicate when you’ve no longer got power’. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Celebrity Traitors star forced to scrap ‘tell-all’ podcast after BBC warning Arrow MORE: Is Casualty on tonight? When it’s back and next on TV confirmed Arrow MORE: Maya Jama admits she sneakily broke big Celebrity Traitors rule News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.