# Google Cloud Power Outage Disrupts Major UK Banking Services A critical infrastructure failure at Google's UK data center impacts Revolut and Lloyds Banking Group. - **Source:** [Hacker News: Front Page](https://brifing.si/source/b07aa772-b1a0-4a76-aa18-719c6f9e2dde) - **Published:** 2026-10-20 - **Topic:** [Software & Engineering](https://brifing.si/c/engineering) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/22e333a4-8229-49fb-ba55-329dfc6e087c ## Infrastructure Failure Overview Google Cloud experienced a significant power event at its europe-west2 data center complex, triggering widespread service disruptions across the United Kingdom. The incident, which began on Monday evening, resulted in elevated error rates and intermittent network failures. This infrastructure failure directly impacted numerous online platforms that rely on Google's cloud computing services. ## Impact on Banking Sector Financial institutions including Revolut, Lloyds Bank, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland reported service disruptions on Tuesday morning. Revolut confirmed that its app issues were linked to a third-party provider, while Lloyds Banking Group acknowledged intermittent problems with specific online services. Customers faced difficulties accessing accounts and utilizing standard digital banking features throughout the day. ## Revolut Service Status Downdetector recorded over 1,500 user reports regarding Revolut service issues shortly after 08:00 BST on Tuesday. A company spokesperson officially confirmed the disruption was caused by an external third-party issue. Despite the technical challenges, the firm explicitly stated that all customer funds and personal data remained secure throughout the entire outage period. ## Broader Service Disruptions The outage extended beyond the financial sector, affecting various public and commercial services. The HM Courts and Tribunals Service reported issues with its remote video hearing platform, while the delivery firm DPD noted connection problems. These incidents highlight the systemic reliance on centralized cloud infrastructure for critical national operations and daily logistics. ## Google Cloud Response Google Cloud issued a formal apology to all affected users and organizations while investigating the root cause of the power event. The company directed stakeholders to its service health dashboard for real-time updates. However, Google did not provide a definitive timeline for when full service stability would be restored across the region. ## Technical Monitoring Protocols The europe-west2 region displayed signs of instability on the service health dashboard starting Monday evening. By Tuesday morning, the status was updated to reflect elevated errors and network failures. Organizations like Lloyds Banking Group monitored the situation closely, acknowledging that similar issues were impacting multiple entities across the digital infrastructure landscape. ## Third-Party Dependency Risks This incident underscores the inherent risks associated with relying on a limited number of large-scale cloud providers. When a central data center experiences a power event, the downstream effects are immediate and widespread. Organizations must balance the efficiency of cloud-based architectures with the potential for massive service outages during critical infrastructure failures. ## Operational Resilience Lessons The event serves as a reminder of the necessity for robust disaster recovery and communication strategies during cloud outages. While companies like Revolut successfully reassured customers regarding data safety, the inability to access services remains a significant operational hurdle. Future resilience planning must account for potential failures in major cloud service provider regions. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cxdd8mm6qy4mo — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._