Some parts of India are grappling with power cuts as record-breaking heat has pushed electricity demand ​to an all-time high in excess of 270 gigawatts, spurring a ‌government call for consumers to limit use.

An El Nino weather pattern is bringing above-average summer temperatures across the subcontinent in May, with nighttime outages running from 40 minutes to an ​hour in the manufacturing and infotech hub of Chennai, residents said.

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"South Chennai ​has seen frequent power cuts over the past two days, with ⁠outages at short intervals," said R. Hari, a resident of the southern ​city, who complained that they made it difficult to work from home.

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Shortages are chronic during the evening hours as supply then relies heavily on thermal ‌and ⁠hydropower sources, while daytime demand is met partly by solar generation.

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The record heat and surging electricity demand are testing India's power system, said Disha Aggarwal, senior programme lead at energy and environment think-tank CEEW, as hotter nights become the norm.

India ​needs to urgently ​fast-track commissioning of ⁠battery storage to make use of surplus solar energy at night, she added.