Baghdad, Iraq | AFP
Iraq on Monday announced a nationwide power outage as rising temperatures pushed demand on the electricity grid to unprecedented levels.
The electricity ministry said the grid suffered a “total outage” after the shutdown of two transmission lines amid a spike in consumption triggered by a “record rise in temperatures”, with the heat reaching 48-50°C in Baghdad and central and southern regions.
While households can still rely on private generators, the blackout comes as millions of Shiite Muslim pilgrims gather in the province of Karbala for a major religious commemoration, further straining demand, the ministry added.
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