Charlotte Hawkins shared an important update during Wednesday’s edition of Good Morning Britain

On today’s episode of the popular ITV show, presenters Susanna Reid and Ed Balls kept viewers up-to-date with the latest news both nationally and globally.

Topics of discussion included the government’s unexpected reversal on its flagship Benefits Bill, stricter regulations for cyclists who run red lights, and a chat with British TV star Christopher Biggins about his life-saving heart operation.

In another segment, Charlotte disclosed that the power cut which closed Heathrow Airport earlier this year was due to a “catastrophic failure” of equipment.

Approximately 1,300 flights were cancelled in March, disrupting over 270,000 air passenger journeys, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Charlotte Hawkins
GMB’s Charlotte Hawkins announced breaking news on Wednesday (July 2)(Image: ITV)

“Breaking news now, and a major fire at an electrical substation, which wiped out Heathrow Airport for several hours and caused travel chaos for thousands, was caused by a catastrophic failure of equipment, according to a new report,” she said.

“Experts say it was most likely the result of moisture entering one of the transformers. Two chances were missed, which could have prevented the failure.”

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) disclosed that an elevated moisture reading was first detected in July 2018, but “mitigating actions appropriate to its severity were not implemented”, with basic maintenance being cancelled.

NESO’s report also said that the fire “was most likely caused by moisture entering the bushing causing a short circuit.”

A fire at an electrical substation shut Heathrow Airport in March
A fire at an electrical substation shut Heathrow Airport in March(Image: AP)

It continued: “The electricity likely then arced (causing sparks) which combined with air and heat to ignite the oil, resulting in a fire.”

A spokesperson for Heathrow Airport responded to the findings, stating: “A combination of outdated regulation, inadequate safety mechanisms, and National Grid’s failure to maintain its infrastructure led to this catastrophic power outage.

“We expect National Grid to be carefully considering what steps they can take to ensure this isn’t repeated.”

The airport also highlighted that its own review, led by former Cabinet Minister Ruth Kelly, had pinpointed areas for improvement, with work already underway to implement all 28 recommendations.

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am