Kuwait warns of systematic power cuts amid heatwave

Authorities cut electricity in several areas to avoid longer blackouts

The sun sets behind overhead power lines in Kuwait, which is suffering from power outages. AFP

Kuwait’s government has warned it might need to introduce systematic power cuts as the country sizzles under a heatwave.

Authorities were forced to cut electricity in several areas to avoid longer blackouts on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy announced that power cuts of one to two hours may need to be introduced. It said they would take place between 11am and 5pm, with the exact time announced on the day via the ministry’s social media platforms.

Kuwait’s national news agency, Kuna, said the ministry “blamed soaring temperatures”.

Temperatures reached 51 °C on Thursday. And it is predicted to get hotter over summer.

On Wednesday, the ministry said it had taken "pre-emptive steps" including brief power cuts to ensure "stability" on the national power grid, Kuna reported. The ministry appealed to citizens to limit electricity consumption between peak hours of 11am to 5pm.

Fuad Al Own, a former official at Kuwait’s electricity and water ministry, told Bloomberg that he is not surprised about the crisis the nation finds itself in.

“I expected it to happen two or three years ago,” he said in an interview. “No one understood the importance of taking preventive measures, you have to plan years in advance.”

Countries across the Middle East are experiencing a heatwave.

Several countries have resorted to systematic power cut to save electricity.

In Egypt, the government has mandated daily power cuts as it struggles with an economic crisis.

Despite its rich oil resources, Iraq also faces widespread power cuts. Iraqis also attribute the electricity shortage to corruption, as well as years of conflict.

Lebanon has faced chronic electricity shortages for decades, with many Lebanese blaming corruption within the ruling elites.