Microsoft outage disrupts Outlook, Teams, and Copilot for millions globally

A major Microsoft outage has disrupted Outlook, Teams, and Copilot services globally for over 20 hours, affecting millions of users across 74 countries, including the UK, with email delivery delays and access issues persisting. Microsoft reports services are "approaching normal levels" with recovery progress in Europe and Asia Pacific, though some users still face intermittent problems. The fault stems from Exchange Online, which was overwhelmed by connection requests, causing a backlog that must be cleared gradually. The outage has impacted NHS services, schools, councils, and rail ticket delivery, with contingency plans activated. No cyber attack is suspected, but businesses face significant financial losses, highlighting reliance on a few major computer systems.