Extensive power outages struck the western Balkans on Friday, coinciding with a scorching heatwave that has placed immense strain on the electrical grid.
Montenegro Experiences Major Blackout
In Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, temperatures soared to 38 degrees Celsius on Friday afternoon. The country’s primary electricity provider reported that power was out across most of the Adriatic nation.
Montenegro’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Sasa Mujovic, attributed the blackout to the ongoing heatwave. He explained to local media that there had been a sudden surge in consumption due to the elevated temperatures.
Croatia’s Coastline Affected
Neighboring Croatia also experienced power disruptions, with large areas of the southern Dalmatian coastline left without electricity, according to local media reports.
The Croatian national electricity company (HEP) issued a statement via public broadcaster HRT, indicating that “international disturbances that affected several countries” caused the power outage in parts of Croatia. HEP assured that it had mobilized all available production capacities to restore power supply as quickly as possible.
Bosnia and Albania Also Affected
In Bosnia, the capital city of Sarajevo was also without power, as confirmed by an AFP journalist on the ground. Midheta Kurspahic, spokesperson for the Electricity Company of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stated that the exact cause of the outage was unknown but presumed to be due to consumption overload.
In Albania, Florian Seriani, spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport and Energy, confirmed that the power disruption was linked to regional outages.