Power blackouts prompted by high temperatures struck more than 1,000 businesses in London's major shopping district and part of the English capital's transit network today.
High energy demand led to faults in the city's power system, which caused outages starting in the central Soho district, the energy company EDF said in a statement.
Temperatures reached 86 degrees in central London on Thursday, the weather center said.
Part of a major subway station at Oxford Street, which brings people to businesses and more than 300 nearby stores, was closed for about 90 minutes, said James Simpson of the London Underground. He said an estimated 570,000 passengers ride through the station on weekdays.
EDF said power outages would likely continue throughout Thursday and into Friday, causing about 1,300 companies in an area between Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus to lose power.
"Prudent use of power by those in the affected area, for example turning off air conditioning where possible, will help this situation," the company's statement said