Power demand hits season’s peak amid heatwave

Chandigarh: The city’s power demand surged to a season-high 421 MW on Wednesday as soaring temperatures drove heavy use of air-conditioners, coolers and other appliances.The latest peak exceeds the previous summer high of around 415 MW recorded in May, underlining growing pressure on the power network amid the ongoing heatwave.Demand has risen sharply over the past 10 days. From 272 MW on June 1, the peak load climbed to 318 MW on June 2, 359 MW on June 3 and 374 MW on June 4. A brief dip to 319 MW on June 5 due to marginal relief in temperatures was short-lived, with demand rebounding to 330 MW on June 6, 341 MW on June 7, 379 MW on June 8 and 398 MW on June 9, before crossing the 420 MW mark on Wednesday.The nearly 150 MW spike within nine days highlights the direct impact of rising temperatures on electricity consumption. Officials said demand typically peaks during afternoon hours when cooling requirements are highest.While this is the highest demand recorded this season, it remains below the all-time peak of 465 MW logged on June 12, 2025.The maximum temperature on Wednesday touched 42°C for the second consecutive day, while the minimum rose to 28.7°C — nearly 4 degrees higher than Tuesday. The mercury is expected to hover between 42°C and 44°C on Thursday.