A massive power outage across Spain and Portugal left millions of people without electricity yesterday and caused widespread disruption. As services return to normal in both countries, many not only there but also in the UK are wondering how such a large and sudden blackout could happen – and what Britons can do to prepare in case it happens here.

What causes major outages?
Several factors can contribute to a massive power cut. Interconnector failures – the suspected cause of the outage in Spain and Portugal – are one such factor, and atmospheric conditions are another. Extreme weather can take down parts of the power grid – as it did in the UK's "Great Storm" of 1987, when 120mph winds battered Britain and damaged infrastructure. And solar flares are a risk: these eruptions from the Sun can create geomagnetic storms that interfere with power, navigation and communication systems.

Cyberattacks are also a growing concern. The Spanish government has said it does not believe such an attack caused Monday's power outage, but investigations are ongoing.

Could it happen in the UK?
"It's highly unlikely" but not impossible, said Chris Owens of power-supplies manufacturer Riello UPS. "Our power grid is reliable and robust," he told Metro. "There's never been a complete failure of the UK's electricity network."

Is the UK prepared?
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told Sky News that the UK has a "continued approach" to "resilience" and "security issues".

But Sarah Schubert, chair of the Institute of Civil Protection and Emergency Management, warned in 2023 that the UK was becoming "ever more fragile" by relying so much on computer technology. She told The i Paper that Britons needed to "be prepared" and have "some degree of self-sufficiency for at least 72 hours" in case of an emergency.

Government advice includes keeping spare batteries, charged power banks and a wind-up torch at home, as well as a wind-up radio, with a written list of local and national station frequencies, to get official information via emergency broadcasts if needed. Brits are also urged to have blankets and plenty of bottled water and non-perishable food, such as cans of fruit and vegetables or ready-to-eat tinned meat.

"Move over Sir Alex," said Anfield great Jamie Carragher in The Telegraph: there's now "no denying Liverpool are England's greatest club". With Arne Slot's Reds clinching a record-equalling 20th title in the Dutch manager's first season with the team, Liverpool sit alongside long-time rivals Manchester United as England's most prolific league winners.

After decades in the wilderness following their "relentless winning spree" from the 1970s to 1990, Liverpool's loyal supporters know the "massive symbolic importance" of this triumph can't be overstated.

'Seamless fit'
This season belongs to Slot, whose "educationist approach" to coaching is a stark contrast to that of his charismatic predecessor Jürgen Klopp, said The Guardian.

Slot has put the emphasis on reflection and analysis, and often sparked "immediate and vast improvements in the second half" of matches. Even in losses – of which he has faced only two in the Premier League this season – Slot is "level-headed and refreshingly honest", bringing "coolness" to the squad. This, paired with his "analytical mind", said The Independent, provided the "seamless fit" Liverpool were seeking.

What's more, Slot was able to win the league title "without a single major signing". Building on the success of Klopp, the coach deployed "clever tactical tweaks" to enhance the squad he inherited. Training sessions were rescheduled with an "earlier reporting time of 9.15am", with "compulsory" pre-session team breakfasts, said Sky News. Slot "bedded in his beliefs" from the moment he took the reins.

'Collegiate approach'
Of course, the players also deserve credit, displaying a "collegiate approach which cannot be underplayed", said The Times. Mohamed Salah, already a prolific goal scorer, has "scaled new heights" this season, displaying "preparation, professionalism and performance". Slot's individual training sessions seem to have "reinvigorated" the player.

Captain Virgil Van Dijk has also enjoyed a "renaissance season", said Caught Offside. After a "dip in form" in recent seasons, Slot's coaching appears to have returned the centre-back to his "dominant best".

But it was the team's midfield who truly "surprised this season", with players including Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister providing an "energetic, technically gifted engine room" to ensure Liverpool's success.

The UK's best golf hotels don't just offer "top-notch championship courses", said The Times. Even a "joyful" afternoon on the fairways counts for little without a "superb" place to unwind afterwards. Here are some of our favourite spots to do both.

Rockliffe Hall, County Durham
Set within 375 acres of "sprawling" parkland on the County Durham and North Yorkshire border, Rockliffe Hall is home to a 50,000-sq-ft spa, three restaurants and a cocktail bar, said The Telegraph. Owned by Middlesbrough Football Club, the hotel also has impressive sporting facilities.

The Grove, Hertfordshire
This "stately" hotel is perfect for a weekend break, said The Telegraph. Set within a "bucolic" Hertfordshire estate, The Grove's 18-hole championship course has been graced by "many greats of the game", including Tiger Woods.

Gleneagles, Scotland
"Fancy your golf with a side of Michelin-starred cuisine?" said The Times. You'll struggle to do better than Gleneagles (pictured above), where Restaurant Andrew Fairlie serves "indulgent" plates of food such as home-smoked Scottish lobster and hand-dived king scallops with a vibrant pea purée. The hotel is home to three championship golf courses, as well as a nine-hole course, two putting areas and a driving range.

Star Castle, Isles of Scilly
This "characterful" hotel on St Mary's, the largest island in the Scillies archipelago, gives guests complimentary access to England's most southwesterly golf course, said The Independent. The "challenging" 18-hole course also has beautiful views of the neighbouring islands.

Why is Labour getting bolder on Europe? It knows even leave voters can now see the benefits
Gaby Hinsliff in The Guardian
"Nearly nine years" after Britain "lost its collective mind" over Brexit, "something is finally shifting", writes Gaby Hinsliff. A youth visa deal with the EU is "on the table" and not to hear "a terrified, clenched-buttock 'no'" from our side is "strangely exhilarating". Letting young Europeans travel isn't the "dramatic pivot back to Europe" desired by many Remainers, but it beats "years of Labour jumping nervously at its own shadow".

A $5,000 baby bonus won't raise birth rates
Stephen Bush in the Financial Times
Donald Trump's government is "mulling" ways to boost the US birth rate, including "paying a birth bonus of $5,000", writes Stephen Bush. But this won't be a "meaningful incentive" while policymakers pair their pronatalist "obsession" with "indifference, and in some cases outright contempt, for the lives and the bank balances" of those who raise children. "Birth rates are not something you can fix by handing out small sums of cash upon delivery."

Faith comes easily to us for good reason
James Marriott in The Times
Church attendance has "nudged upwards" in the UK, writes James Marriott, and in the US, the "decline of Christianity has stalled". This "relapse into faith" may "seem surprising", but there is an "increasingly influential view" that religion "encourages community bonds and altruistic behaviour". We also know that "economic stagnation and war pull populations back" to God. I'm "sensible to religion's dangers", but "we may yet find that our species cannot do without faith".