Heatwave pushing toward 49C forces Steg into rotating power cuts

The national meteorology institute INM said on July 17 that the heatwave would continue with highs of 44 to 49C inland, amplified by the sirocco and running 8 to 13 degrees above seasonal norms. The next day the utility Steg warned of rotating cuts between noon and 4 p.m. across much of Greater Tunis, Cap Bon, Zaghouan and Bizerte, citing the surge in demand from air conditioning and the need to protect grid stability. A state utility rationing electricity at the very peak of summer demand is the kind of everyday failure that moves public anger faster than any political argument.

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