Record heat drives power outages and water shortages across Tunisia
Extreme temperatures in Tunisia have triggered rotating electricity cuts, which in turn have disrupted water supplies and strained hospitals.
On a sweltering day that saw Kairouan hit 49.8 °C, Tunisia experienced one of the globe's highest temperatures, second only to a site in Iran. The intense heat drove electricity consumption to unprecedented peaks, leading the Tunisian Company of Electricity and Gas to introduce rotating power cuts across multiple regions. These interruptions have directly affected water distribution, as seen when a blackout stopped the Kerker pumping station, curtailing drinking-water delivery in Mahdia and Sfax.
The water crisis is compounded by long-standing scarcity and drought conditions. Hospitals, particularly in Sfax, are coping with a surge in heatstroke cases and have recorded dozens of deaths in a single day, according to the Tunisian Organization of Young Doctors. Additionally, bottled-water factories face production delays due to both power rationing and shortages of raw plastic materials.
Why it matters
The heatwave exposes Tunisia's fragile power and water infrastructure, endangering public health and daily life.
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