New York's LaGuardia loses power after transformer explosion

The night sky over New York City is illuminated by blue light from a transformer explosion on December 27, 2018. Bloomberg

Flights to LaGuardia airport are delayed after an explosion at a transformer briefly disrupted power supply and prompted it to divert some planes.

Delta Air Lines and American Airlines diverted some of their flights to nearby airports, according to LaGuardia’s website. Other services are being delayed.

The airport had to switch to backup facilities after a fire at a substation in Astoria, New York City, caused a dip in transmission and flickering lights in northern Queens, said Bob McGee, a spokesman for utility Consolidated Edison.

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Con Edison said there was a brief electrical fire around 9 p.m. local time involving several transformers. All power lines in the area are now operating and stable, the company said in a statement, adding it’s investigating the cause of the incident.

NYC’s public transit system has power but there are delays on the No. 7 train, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Twitter.

The explosion sent a wave of bright blue light flashing across the New York City skyline. The light could be seen from Manhattan shortly after 9 p.m. following the electrical fire.

The blue light prompted a wave of commentary on social media, with New Yorkers joking about its origins. It’s "*Not* aliens," tweeted Eric Phillips, a spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio.