Parts of India are experiencing power outages as record-breaking temperatures push electricity demand to an all-time high of over 270 gigawatts. In response, the government has asked consumers to reduce their energy usage. An El Nino weather pattern is causing above-average summer temperatures across much of the subcontinent this May, with residents in Chennai reporting nighttime outages lasting between 40 minutes and an hour, particularly impacting manufacturing and tech hubs.
“South Chennai has faced frequent power cuts over the past couple of days, with outages happening at short intervals,” said R Hari, a local resident. “This makes it hard to work from home.” According to the national grid operator, late Thursday evening’s power deficit hit around 2.57 gigawatts.
The Ministry of Power issued a statement on Friday urging people to conserve electricity during this intense summer period, saying, “Although we are ready to supply electricity as needed, due to the extreme heat, everyone should use power wisely and responsibly.”
Supply shortages are especially severe in the evenings, as the grid relies heavily on thermal and hydropower sources during those hours. During the day, solar energy partially meets the rising demand. Experts note that the extreme heat and soaring electricity needs are straining India’s power system—highlighting the urgent need to accelerate the development of battery storage systems to better utilize surplus solar power collected at night.
Weather agencies have forecasted “heatwave to severe heatwave conditions” in New Delhi and much of northern and eastern India from Friday through May 27. Many residents in the capital and nearby Noida have taken to social media to complain about power outages during nighttime. In Odisha, a state on the eastern coast, some consumers have protested longer and more frequent outages that occur both during the day and night.
