Rolling blackouts occurred in several cities in Mexico on Tuesday, as people in several states reeled from rising temperatures and the national energy authority briefly declared a state of emergency.
A heat wave has hit Mexico in recent days, raising temperatures in several states to triple digits. Mexico City reached a maximum of 92 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest temperature recorded there on May 7 in more than 20 years.
Mexico’s energy authority Cenace announced a state of emergency for the national grid on Tuesday afternoon, meaning available power had fallen below adequate levels. Less than an hour later, he said the system was back to normal.
But local media reported blackouts in municipalities across the country throughout the night. Social media users uploaded photos and videos of darkened city skylines.
Local officials confirmed several blackouts in the State of Mexico, including in San Mateo Atenco and Metepec, near Mexico City. And during a blackout in the city of Nuevo Laredo, near the Texas border, they asked people to avoid driving.
In a statement, the national energy agency attributed Tuesday afternoon’s electricity shortage to a number of factors, including a drop in wind and solar power generation. Some power plants were also out of commission at the time, he said. The statement does not mention the heat wave.
An increase in overnight demand subsequently required power outages across Mexico, the agency said. The electricity supply was gradually restored starting at 8:00 p.m., in a process that would last until 11:00 p.m.
Mexico has experienced blackouts before, including during extreme weather events such as hurricanes or heat waves. During the country’s power outages last June, local officials reported hundreds of heat-related deaths, even as federal and state governments downplayed them.