Ukrainians struggle with scorching heat amid power crisis

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By Yurii Kovalenko and Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey

KYIV (Reuters) – On some evenings, Ukrainian mother Margaryta Zakharchuk wanders around her neighbourhood in the sweltering heat waiting for the electricity to come back on so she can take the lift to her 12th-floor apartment.

“We walk around outside until 10 o’clock so we don’t need to climb up with two kids,” she said.

Zakharchuk, 43, is among the millions of Ukrainians struggling amid a record heat wave compounded by regular power cuts that make household appliances like air conditioning units and refrigerators useless.

Regular Russian air strikes have ravaged the country’s energy system, leading to hours-long rolling blackouts that have forced residents and businesses to adapt in the extreme heat.

The Central Geophysical Observatory said on Tuesday it had clocked a record-high 93.5 degrees Fahrenheit (34.2 degrees Celsius) in Kyiv for July 15. Temperatures on Tuesday were expected to reach even higher.

Zakharchuk, for instance, is limited in what she can cook for her family of four because food spoils quicker, she said.

Like many other Ukrainians, her daily life is divided into blocks of time when electricity is available.

“The light comes on and you begin doing everything: washing, ironing, cooking, charging all your devices,” she said while splashing down her one-year-old daughter Vasilisa in the sink.

Zakharchuk added that her family had considered leaving town, but that options to do so were unavailable.

At a nearby corner store, shopkeeper Vika said she has begun ordering fewer dairy products like milk and butter. Prices have also gone up to cover the cost of running the generator.

“These are all expenses,” said the 37-year-old, who said power at her store is out for around six to eight hours per day.

The extreme heat is also taking a broader toll on Ukraine’s economy, with state weather forecasters saying on Tuesday the harvest of late crops could decline by up to 30% in central, southern and eastern regions.

Grid operator Ukrenergo announced on Tuesday new emergency electricity shutdowns for some consumers in seven regions – but not including the capital – due to the heatwave following a failure of power equipment.

“Last night there was an equipment failure at one of the energy facilities. The energy deficit in the system increased,” it said on the Telegram messaging app.

The energy ministry has urged consumers to conserve energy and minimise the use of powerful electrical appliances to preserve the stability of the power grid.

Standing outside her building holding her infant, Zakharchuk lamented that hauling a pram up to her apartment was not an option.

“Now it’s a long road up back home.”

(Writing by Dan Peleschuk; Editing by Tom Balmforth, Alexandra Hudson)