Myanmar issues El Nino power outage warning

Myanmar warned citizens to expect scheduled power outages starting Monday, saying the electrical grid is being strained by an unseasonable heatwave it blamed on the El Nino weather phenomenon.

Homes and businesses in war-struck Myanmar are regularly plunged into blackouts, some spontaneous and others set on a timetable to ease the burden on the fragile power infrastructure.

Many richer residents use generators or back-up batteries, while the poorer citizens of the tropical nation are left to swelter without fans or air conditioning.

"Due to the effects of severe El Nino conditions, temperatures across the country have risen significantly, resulting in increased electricity consumption," the energy ministry said.

"To balance electricity consumption with available generation capacity during this period, load management and rotational power distribution will be implemented" starting Monday, said a statement in state media.

El Nino is a natural phenomenon recurring every two to seven years owing to the warming of sea surfaces -- bringing worldwide changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns.

Global forecasters predict this year's event will peak at an intensity never observed in the modern era, compounding the effects of manmade climate change which drives extreme weather patterns.

Myanmar weather officials have warned the country to expect "abnormal rainfalls and storms, drought, extreme heat, drinking water shortage and extreme weather conditions" as a result of the "Super El Nino".

Late last month the southernmost Tanintharyi Region was lashed by rains which caused widespread flooding and killed at least nine people in a landslide.

Myanmar is currently coming to the end of its wet season, when reservoirs feeding the hydropower plants making up the nation's largest source of electricity generation are filled by plentiful monsoon rains.

The energy ministry said it was "anticipating more significant depletion of water levels in reservoirs at hydropower plants during the coming dry season" which usually runs from October to May.

In a normal year the coming months are generally some of the coolest of the year in Myanmar, seeing a drop in power demand as citizens turn off fans and air conditioners.