Heat wave to test power grid
There may be a number of planned power cuts across the country tomorrow and on Wednesday as the Public Power Corporation (PPC) prepares to meet record electricity demand on those days, when Greeks are expected to resort to their air conditioners to deal with the forecast heat wave. PPC sources have said that demand for electricity is expected to be at 10,000 megawatts today, 10,500 MW tomorrow and 10,900 MW on Wednesday. Last year, demand for electricity peaked at 10,600 MW. As a result, PPC is preparing to cut power to some areas in a bid to prevent a wider outage. The electricity provider has already reached an agreement with major industries for them to reduce their use of power during peak hours in the hope of easing the pressure on the national grid. PPC cannot rely on hydroelectric power as the recent lack of rainfall and the fact that water reserves were used earlier this year during a strike by the company’s employees means that this form of production cannot provide adequate backup. Temperatures are expected to rise gradually over the course of the next few days before reaching as high as 42 Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country, including Attica, on Wednesday. Tomorrow and Wednesday are likely to be the hottest days of the year so far but the weather is expected to cool a little from Thursday. Emergency services have been placed on alert and people have been warned to restrict their movements as much as possible. The authorities have also advised people to wear loose clothing, sunglasses and hats, drink plenty of water and refrain from alcohol. A number of local authorities, including those in Thessaloniki and Piraeus, have announced that they will be opening the doors of air-conditioned centers for members of the community, especially elderly people seek some respite from the heat.
