A severe heatwave sweeping across France has left approximately 68,000 households without electricity in the western department of Finistere, following a major power disruption linked to extreme temperatures.
The outage began late Tuesday after an incident involving two transformers managed by France’s electricity transmission operator, RTE.
At the peak of the disruption, about 106,000 households lost power, according to the prefect of Finistere in a post on the social media platform X.
Authorities reported on Wednesday that around 68,000 homes, mainly in the southwestern part of the department, were still without electricity. Restoration efforts are ongoing, but officials indicated that reconnecting affected customers would not be possible during the day.
The prefect said RTE expects power to be restored no earlier than the end of Wednesday, as emergency teams continue repair work under challenging weather conditions.
“Priority is being given to restoring electricity to healthcare facilities and sensitive sites. Nursing homes where electricity has not been restored through the grid will be provided with generators,” the prefect added.
The power failure comes as France grapples with soaring temperatures across much of the country. Finistere is among 58 departments placed under the highest-level red weather alert, with temperatures forecast to climb as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some regions.
Meanwhile, the national meteorological agency, Meteo-France, has also issued orange heat warnings for 31 additional departments as the country continues to face intense heat conditions.
