The city of Buenos Aires was hit by a massive power outage on Tuesday, which left thousands of homes without electricity amid a heat wave that sent temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius.
Electricity distributors Edenor and Edesur reported power outages after high temperatures generated increased demand to cool homes and businesses.
The National Electricity Regulation Entity (ENRE) said the Edenor power outage affected 700,000 customers in the Buenos Aires area. About 43,400 Edesur customers were also without power, after failures in high voltage lines affected two of its substations.
AySA, which provides drinking water in the capital, asked the population to optimize water use because the interruption also affected its purification system.
High temperatures are expected to continue throughout the week, with peaks approaching 40°C, according to the country’s National Weather Service (SMN).
“The SMN issued an alert anticipating an extreme heat wave this week, with temperatures that could reach 41°C in the concession area,” said Edesur in email to your customers. “We are working to strengthen our network in the face of growing demand.”