Kuwait has announced power cuts in several residential neighbourhoods, despite high summertime temperatures.
In a statement on Sunday, August 18, the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy (MEWRE) said, “Within an hour from now, the power in some residential areas will be cutoff in order to maintain the stability of the country’s power grid.”
The power cuts would occur in Abdullah Al-Mubarak, WestAbdullah Al-Mubarak, Jaber Al-Ahmad, SouthJahra, Fahad Al-Ahmad, Hadiya, Salmiya, EastHawally, Khaitan, and Funaitis.
The statement added that the cutoff is due to a fuel supply disruption that occurred on Saturday, August 17, which led to the shutdown of desalination plants and some power stations, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.
MEWRE urged public to conserve electricity during peak hours, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, to ease the strain on the grid.
The forecast high for Kuwait on Sunday was 43 degrees Celsius. Weather forecasters warned it could feel like 53 degrees Celsius, with poor air quality as well.
