Australia Heat Wave Strains Power Supplies, Sparks Wildfires

Temperatures soared to more than 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit) in southeastern Australia as a heat wave strained electricity supplies and sparked wildfires.

Extreme heat across the states of Victoria and South Australia is causing high demand for electricity and as many as 100,000 homes and businesses may be affected by power supply outages and reduced supply, Victorian Energy Minister Nicholas Kotsiras said in a statement. Bushfire warnings were in place across the two states and New South Wales, with high winds forecast to increase the danger tomorrow, emergency authorities said.

Play was suspended on some courts at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, with the temperature reaching 43.9 degrees Celsius. Top-seeded player Serena Williams, who reached the third round, said yesterday it was “too hot to get into rallies,” while two players and a ball-boy have received medical treatment due to the heat.

Electricity prices in Victoria surged 7 percent to A$72.25 a megawatt-hour on Jan. 14, the highest since Jan. 30, 2012, data compiled by Bloomberg show. switch mode power supply in South Australia climbed to A$81 a megawatt-hour on Jan. 13, the highest since March 2012.

AGL Energy Ltd. is working to bring online a unit at the Loy Yang astec power supply in Victoria after the extreme weather led to “unexpected equipment failure,” the company said in a statement.
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