Blackouts in China as heat wave pushes electricity usage to record levels

Taipei, July 26: A long-running heatwave in China has pushed electricity usage to record levels in some areas and led to blackouts, with warnings that the high temperatures are expected to continue for at least another week, a media report said.

More than 300 cities were forecast to reach temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. China Southern Power Grid Company said Monday’s usage had surpassed last year’s peak load by 3 per cent, The Guardian reported.

The Guangdong province power grid also hit a record high, reaching 142m kilowatts, an increase of 4.89 per cent over last year’s peak load.