November 13, 2024, Wednesday
Nepal 1:37:26 pm

Japan asks 37 million people to switch off lights

The Nepal Weekly
June 28, 2022

Japan government has urged people in Tokyo and its surrounding area to use less electricity on Monday, as it warned that supplies will be strained as the country faces a heatwave. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry expects demand for power to be “severe” in the afternoon. It asked people to switch off unnecessary lights but still use air conditioning to avoid heatstroke.

For weeks, officials have warned of a power crunch as temperatures rise. Over the weekend, the temperature in central Tokyo rose above 35C, while the city of Isesaki, northwest of the capital, saw a record 40.2C. That was the highest temperature ever recorded in June for Japan. June marks the start of summer in Japan, with temperatures typically staying below 30C during the month.

In a statement on Sunday, the ministry said that excess generating capacity for electricity was expected to drop to 3.7% on Monday afternoon in Tokyo and eight surrounding prefectures. It views a buffer of 3% as necessary for stable power supply. The government asked people to turn off unnecessary lights for three hours from 15:00 Tokyo time (07:00 BST) while “properly using air conditioning and hydrating during hot hours”. Although electricity providers are working to increase supply, the ministry said the situation was “unpredictable” as temperatures climb. “If there is an increase in demand and sudden supply troubles, the reserve margin will fall below the minimum required of 3%,” it said. Japan’s power supply has been tight since an earthquake in its northeastern region in March forced some nuclear power plants to suspend operations.

Officials have also closed several aging fossil fuel plants in an attempt to cut carbon dioxide emissions. These issues, along with a surge in demand for electricity, have resulted in a power squeeze. Earlier this month, the Japanese government called on households and companies to save as much electricity as possible during the summer.