On Friday evening, many Israeli cities were plunged into darkness after the electricity system couldn’t absorb the overloads due to the high temperature.
The Israeli Channel 12 said, “The extraordinary load of electricity consumption after the intense heat, Friday, led to power outages throughout the country… Every hour, electricity is cut off in a different place in the country, in order to moderate consumption”.
Channel 12 explained that at the peak of consumption, electricity was cut off from 300,000 homes in various cities in the country.
Meanwhile, power outages were reported in several locations across the country, including in Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Bnei Brak, Givatayim, Modi’in, Modi’in Illit, Karmiel, Lower Galilee, Kiryat Malachi and others.
The Nega company, which operates the electricity system, said, “Due to the severe weather, electricity consumption throughout the country is abnormal and causes loads on the system,” according to the Israeli Walla website.
“The loads are caused, among other things, by the high demand for electricity, the gradual decline in electricity production from renewable energy as the sun sets, and power plant malfunctions due to thermal load… We ask the citizens of Israel not to turn on electrical appliances that aren’t needed today and could be turned on another day”.
The company continued that due to the high demand along with the fires and malfunctions resulting from abnormal loads, the electricity company was required to carry out a preemptive cut-off of the electric current in various regions of the country, and this activity is required to protect the power stations and enable the gradual return of electricity to the entire population.
