In recent weeks, countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and other regions have faced large-scale power outages, Anadolu Agency writes. The main reason — high demand caused by adverse weather combined with insufficient generation capacity, says energy expert Ian Dobson.

The frequency of outages is expected to increase, leading to an increase in the number of people affected and the economic impact, he warns.

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Energy systems are under pressure and facing increased demand due to abnormal heat and extreme weather conditions.

In Iraq, due to intense heat and long-term power outages, the working hours of state institutions were reduced by an hour, which led to mass protests by the population. Power outages left many Iraqis without air conditioners and refrigerators during the hottest part of the day, and demonstrators took to the streets to demand the government restore electricity. In large cities of the country, power outages can last up to 10 hours every day, and in rural areas, outages are even longer.

Kuwait also announced that it would introduce additional blackouts to reduce electricity consumption due to high demand during the summer heat. If necessary, power outages will last up to two hours.

Egypt has also been experiencing power shortages since last summer. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbuli has apologized for the long daily three-hour power outages across the country. According to him, the crisis was caused by a 12-hour shutdown of a gas station in a neighboring supplier country.

The increase in electricity consumption has placed an additional burden on the natural gas supply needed to generate electricity in Egypt. According to Madbuli, the country will import about $1.18 billion worth of fuel oil, a heavy low-grade fuel oil used in power plants, and natural gas to deal with power outages.

A major power outage occurred in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Croatia, disrupting everyday life and causing discomfort.

In May, Zambia cut its daily power supply by four hours, leaving consumers with only 12 hours of electricity a day. Officials blame the lack of electricity on low water levels in dams.

Causes and consequences of blackouts

Talking about the reasons for power outages in different countries, experts note that blackouts usually occur when power system or generation is under "high stress".

"Blackouts occur when the generated electricity is not enough to meet the needs of consumers, or when electricity can be generated but cannot be transmitted through the grid to consumers", — Ian Dobson, the Sandbulte Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State University, told Anadolu.

"Heat waves create a load on power grids, because the load on air conditioners increases. For this reason, the peak demand for electricity in some energy systems occurs in the summer,— he added.

"Extreme weather conditions put a strain on power grids: winds damage power lines or blow them away with debris, heat and drought exacerbate wildfires that cause short circuits, and floods damage substations and pole foundations."

Climate change is steadily increasing the frequency and severity of heat waves, Dobson says.

«Climate change is causing much of the world's glaciers to melt, which can affect and limit the availability of water for hydropower and cooling. power plants».

Regarding the consequences of blackouts, Dobson warned that they could lead to the death of people and a significant stoppage of the economy. In some cases, they can also provoke social unrest, looting and riots, which will further exacerbate the consequences. — he added.