Kuwait breathes easier after record heat nearly tops out power supply
By APThursday, June 17, 2010
Heat wave breaks in Kuwait
CAIRO — Temperatures in Kuwait have dropped slightly from the record 126 degrees Fahrenheit earlier this week — a record surge of heat that had pushed the tiny OPEC nation’s power grid to the brink.
Kuwait’s meteorological agency said the temperature in the shade in Kuwait City on Thursday was hovering around 117 Fahrenheit (47 Celsius) for the second consecutive day. The temperature at Kuwait’s international airport was 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
On Tuesday, the humid nation hit a record high of 126 degrees (52 Celsius) as residents turned up the air conditioning, pushing the demand load to within 80 megawatts of Kuwait’s 11,000 megawatt power generation capacity.
A parliament discussion of the country’s power problems is slated for next week.
