Record Increase in Electricity Consumption in Egypt Due to Soaring Temperatures

 Record Increase in Electricity Consumption in Egypt     

Record Increase in Electricity Consumption in Egypt Due to Soaring Temperatures

Egypt's electricity grid recorded unprecedented "historic" loads, with consumption rising to record levels of 39,500 megawatts, an increase of 1,500 megawatts over last year's peak load. An official at the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity explained that "the unified electricity grid succeeded in absorbing this significant increase in consumption without power outages."

The maximum load recorded by the National Energy Control Center's screens last year was 38,000 megawatts. The official expected that consumption would continue to rise on Wednesday, approaching 40,000 megawatts, an unprecedented number for the grid, as temperatures continue to rise significantly, especially in the southern governorates.

 The Egyptian Ministry of Electricity indicated that "the electricity grid was able to absorb the increased loads and confront the continuous increase in consumption, as part of the action plan and measures implemented over the past months to combat the high heat waves during the summer."

Minister of Electricity Mahmoud Esmat directed the electrical system to be fully prepared (production, transmission, and distribution) to ensure the stability of the electricity grid. This includes the deployment of technical support, emergency, monitoring, and maintenance teams, as well as occupational health and safety personnel, to provide the necessary support to combat the rising temperatures and stabilize the grid.

"Heat Dome"

Egypt is experiencing an exceptional heat wave, with temperatures soaring across various regions, reaching record levels at this time of year. This is known as the "heat dome." Manar Ghanem, a member of the media center at the Egyptian Meteorological Authority, revealed that this heat wave will peak on Wednesday and Thursday as a result of the country being affected by an extension of a high-pressure system in the upper atmosphere, known as a "heat dome." These pressure distributions within the high-pressure system heat the air trapped below, significantly raising temperatures, especially with the increased periods of sunshine and the prevailing sunny weather.

Ghanem indicated that Upper Egypt governorates will be the most affected by this wave, as temperatures will exceed their normal rates by about 7 to 8 degrees Celsius, explaining that the maximum temperatures in Luxor and Aswan will approach 50 degrees Celsius. She explained that "this wave is expected to continue until next Friday, with improvement starting next Saturday, with a gradual decrease in temperatures in most governorates, so that temperatures will return to their normal rates during the following week.