Northern Vietnam hit by massive power outages

Around 1 p.m., power went out in Hanoi’s inner districts like Ba Dinh, Cau Giay, Nam Tu Liem, Hai Ba Trung, and Hoang Mai.

Nghia, manager of an office building in the Cau Giay District, stated that the power was restored after about 30 minutes. However the voltage spiked to more than 240 kilovolts (kV), causing some electrical equipment to be damaged.

The damage is being assessed by building management.

An employee of a media company in Hai Ba Trung District reported that while eating lunch at the office, power suddenly went out then came back on and then went out again.

The loss of power recurred 10-15 minutes, causing many company equipment to be "turned on and off multiple times."

Hanoi University of Science and Technology, located in Hai Ba Trung District, had to announce that "the entire school lost power due to a power grid failure in the city. We hope teachers and students understand for this inconvenience."

The power was restored around 2:40 p.m., and normal teaching activities resumed.

On many online forums, households reported that there was a brief power outage and that voltage spiked to 240-300 kV.

According to a Hanoi Power Corporation representative, the capital experienced a large-scale power outage in many districts this afternoon that lasted only a few minutes. Technical workers had been mobilized to resolve the issue as quickly as possible in order to restore power.

According to state power utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN), the northern electricity system experienced voltage fluctuations this afternoon, resulting in power outages in some northern localities, including Hanoi.

Power surges were triggered by a spike in demand for energy to cool homes and businesses amid the scorching weather, wheezing the power grid and causing problems with some generators.

By 3 p.m., the entire northern electricity system was back up and running.

The north and north central regions have been experiencing heat waves since June, with the highest daily temperature reaching 37-39 degrees Celsius.

Ten northern provinces recorded 36-38 degrees Celsius and downtown Hanoi, around 37 degrees Celsius at 1 p.m.