Four Balkan countries experienced simultaneous power cuts lasting several hours on Friday as the region endured a summer heatwave.
Albania, Bosnia, Montenegro, and large areas of the Croatian coast were affected by the afternoon blackouts, caused by surging power demand as households switched on air conditioning to combat the high temperatures.
In Bosnia and Croatia, traffic lights went out, causing transport chaos in Sarajevo, Split, and other major cities.
Suppliers managed to largely restore power by the evening but were still investigating the cause of the failure in the interlinked power systems of the four countries.
The blackouts were first reported at 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT), with water pumps even stopping in Montenegro’s capital, Podgorica.
The power loss also disrupted the tourist season in Croatian resorts, leaving holidaymakers in Dubrovnik in disarray as restaurants, pubs, and supermarkets closed their doors.
Temperatures across the region neared 40°C as the long, hot afternoon wore on.
Montenegro’s Energy Minister Sasa Mujovic said on national TV that “a sudden increase in power consumption due to high temperature” was to blame.
Montenegro’s Vijesti TV reported a fire in a power transmission line in a rugged area near the border with Bosnia, though it was unclear how this might be connected to the blackouts.
In Albania, officials said power was restored within half an hour but warned of a high risk of further blackouts due to continued high energy usage.
Energy production in the western Balkans is shifting away from coal, which accounts for much of the region’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Despite significant investments in solar energy, the aging power infrastructure is not yet fully prepared for the transition, industry officials say.