Kuwait announces more power cuts to ease pressure on country's grid

Residents told to 'conserve power' as summer temperatures climb

People walk through a mist dispenser as they enter al-Mubarakiya market amid high temperatures in Kuwait City. AFP

Kuwait announced powers cuts in certain residential areas on Sunday amid continued disruption to fuel supplies.

The Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said the power cuts were introduced “in order to maintain the stability of the country's power grid” and called on local residents to conserve electricity between 11am and 5pm.

Fuel supplies were disrupted on Saturday, the state-run Kuna news agency reported, shutting down several power stations and desalination plants.

The power cuts affect several residential areas with “high consumption”, including Abdullah Al Mubarak, West Abdullah Al Mubarak, Jaber Al Ahmad, South Jahra and Hadiya among others.

The cuts come as temperatures reached 43 degrees Celsius in Kuwait on Sunday.

Weather forecasters warned it could feel like 53 degrees Celsius, with poor air quality as well.

In June, Kuwait warned of systematic power cuts during a heatwave which saw temperatures soar to 51 degrees, putting its electrical grid under extreme pressure.

Teachers were sent on summer holiday early and air conditioners shut off in mosques in a bid to further ease pressure on the electrical grid.

Locals complained the power cuts will particularly affect the elderly and sick who already struggle to acclimatise to the summer heat.

Several countries, including Egypt and Lebanon, have resorted to systematic power cuts to save electricity.

In July, Cairo said it would suspend the deeply unpopular power cuts until September, citing sufficient fuel imports.

Power cuts are also a problem in Iraq, where summer temperatures regularly exceed 50 degrees Celsius.

“I can’t remember the last time we had a full day of electricity,” Hassan Salim, a father of three from Baghdad told The National in June.

“With the temperatures rising, it feels like we’re living in an oven. Even at night, it’s hard to sleep because it's too hot and there is no power to run the fans.”