A severe heatwave stretching from North Africa to Central Asia has pushed electricity consumption to record levels, forcing Iran to begin planned power cuts while Algeria and Uzbekistan registered new all-time peaks. Iran’s grid operator reported a surge of more than 6,000 megawatts—roughly 9–10 percent—within days, taking demand past 74,000 MW on 20 July. Algeria recorded a second consecutive daily peak of 21,378 MW on 13 July, surpassing the previous year’s high of 20,628 MW. Uzbekistan’s energy ministry warned that daily consumption could reach 280 million kilowatt-hours this week, exceeding the winter record for the first time.

The strain reflects a dual pressure: soaring temperatures drive up air-conditioning use, while the heat simultaneously reduces the efficiency of thermal power plants. Iranian officials noted that cooling equipment now accounts for the bulk of the load, and that high ambient temperatures cut generation capacity by impairing plant cooling systems. In Lebanon, where fuel shortages and regional instability have slashed available production to around 500 MW—far below the 1,000 MW needed for stability—the state utility warned that frequency and voltage swings make a total blackout a daily risk. Average supply stands at just four hours per day outside vital facilities.

Governments have responded with emergency measures and public appeals. Iran’s power distribution company announced that outage schedules would be published two days in advance, with special provisions for the hottest southern provinces, and called on households to set air-conditioners to 25°C and shift non-essential use away from peak hours of 11:00–17:00 and 20:00–23:00. A 5 percent reduction in consumption, officials said, could avert further cuts. Uzbekistan’s energy ministry ordered round-the-clock operation of energy facilities, accelerated repairs, and the temporary suspension of liquefied-gas handling during the hottest periods, while joint inspections of infrastructure were launched with the prosecutor-general and emergencies ministry. Algeria’s grid operator has not announced load-shedding, but the consecutive records underscore the pressure.

Forecasts indicate the heatwave will persist, with temperatures in parts of Uzbekistan expected to reach 47°C and Iran’s southern regions approaching 50°C. Iran’s grid manager identified the coming Tuesday and Wednesday as particularly critical, and a member of parliament described the period from mid-July to mid-August as the most sensitive. The next milestone will be whether consumption-reduction targets are met and whether other countries in the region are forced to follow Iran in implementing controlled outages.