‘Power event’ causes major Google Cloud outage, knocking out banking apps & courts

Google Cloud has experienced a major infrastructure disruption that severely impacted high-profile financial institutions, government services, and digital platforms. The technology giant confirmed that the service interruption stemmed from a "power event" affecting its cloud data centers. According to official updates released on the Google Cloud Service Health dashboard, engineering teams initiated emergency protocols to mitigate the power issue, with partial recovery observed across core infrastructure services shortly after the incident was flagged.

Widespread Impact on Banking and Public Services

The technical failure caused immediate operational bottlenecks across a range of high-visibility sectors. Major banking entities, including digital fintech provider Revolut, which serves over 80 million global users, alongside British high-street lenders Lloyds Bank and Halifax, reported widespread service degradation. According to reports, thousands of customers faced system errors while attempting to access online mobile banking applications, process digital payments, or transfer funds. Both financial institutions and Google issued assurances that customer capital and sensitive personal data remained entirely secure throughout the downtime.

Judicial Disruptions and Technical Recovery

The cloud outage extended into the public sector, disrupting judicial proceedings across England and Wales. Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) reported severe connectivity failures with its Cloud Video Platform, which facilitates secure remote video links for court hearings. The Criminal Bar Association confirmed that multiple trials and legal proceedings were forced to pause as barristers lost remote access to courtroom networks. Additional commercial entities, including Royal Mail and regional ticketing services, also logged operational glitches. Google apologised for the widespread disruption, confirming that mitigation efforts remain underway as engineers stabilise affected server networks.