Tens of thousands of people in Montreal’s West Island have no electricity in the middle of a special weather statement due to the high temperatures.
As many as 54,000 Hydro Quebec customers lost power Tuesday afternoon. At publication time, the number of households without electricity had dropped to about 37,000.
The temperature hovered at 31 C in the early evening hours.
A breakdown of the Des Sources substation is the cause of the power outage, according to Hydro Quebec.
In response to a question posed on social media by Jacques-Cartier MNA Greg Kelley, the Crown corporation said the power outage is related to equipment failure and “doesn’t seem to be due to demand” for electricity.