An abnormal heatwave is heading for Ukraine: will there be power cuts?
Ukrenergo has already warned of the risk of power cuts this summer, but notes that the situation is better than last year.
Temperatures up to +40
According to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Centre, following mild weather at the end of the week – specifically from 28 June – Ukraine will see a dramatic change in weather patterns. Due to the movement of the European anticyclone, a sharp rise in temperature is expected, and in some regions thermometers will reach levels above +35°C (there are reports of temperatures as high as +40°C).
The western regions will be the first to experience these extremely high temperatures, after which the abnormal heatwave will spread to the northern and central regions of Ukraine.
The heatwave is expected to last at least until the end of next week (4–5 July).
Possible power cut schedules for summer 2026
The situation is complicated by targeted enemy strikes on power generation facilities and scheduled maintenance of nuclear power plant units. Vitaliy Zaychenko, Chairman of the Board of Ukrenergo, spoke about this in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
According to him, large power generation facilities remain targets for enemy attacks; moreover, strikes on energy infrastructure have already been recorded this week.
“The enemy is aware of large-scale generation facilities; in fact, there have already been hits on them this week. If there are massive attacks on generation facilities, we will need to balance the power system. This can be achieved through restrictions and power cuts,” noted the head of Ukrenergo.
Another reason why rolling blackouts might be introduced is the heatwave. According to Zaychenko, electricity consumption restrictions may be imposed when temperatures exceed 30°C.
He points out that during peak consumption hours (mornings and evenings), the power system has to be balanced, so hourly power cuts lasting between 2 and 5 hours may be implemented; in the event of further large-scale attacks, the restrictions could be longer.
According to the head of Ukrenergo, a scheduled maintenance programme is currently underway in the nuclear power sector. We are currently at one of the lowest points in terms of generation at nuclear power stations, with the lowest levels expected in a few weeks’ time – in the second half of July and early August. During this same period, summer consumption is likely to peak due to rising air temperatures, and it is therefore most likely that power cuts will be imposed on consumers during this time.
A note of optimism
At the same time, the situation in the power system this summer is significantly better than in previous years, thanks to:
- an increase in the share of distributed generation;
- the construction of new power stations with enhanced security measures;
- enhanced protection of substations;
- greater resilience of the power system.
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