Lebanon: Power outages nationwide after lightning strikes powerlines November 28

Event

Much of Lebanon is experiencing a blackout on Saturday, November 28, after power supplies were cut amid bad weather. Since around 13:00 (local time) the national grid has not been providing electricity to all regions, with the country's main electricity supplier Électricté du Liban (EDL) reporting that the failure had been caused by lightning striking the Aramoun-Zahrani power line. Technicians are reportedly working to reactivate relay stations after several failed attempts; however, the reconnection of the grid has been problematic due to the fact the national command center has been out of service since EDL's headquarters was destroyed in the August 4 Beirut port explosion. It is not clear how long it will take to restore power. Flooding has also been reported across much of Lebanon after heavy rainfall late morning and early afternoon on Saturday.

Disruption to power supply is expected to continue across Lebanon in the near term. Power outages are not uncommon in Lebanon and the severity of this most recent example could spark protests over service delivery.

Advice

Those in Lebanon are advised to monitor developments and anticipate residual disruptions in the near term due to the outage, even after power has been restored. Travelers in the country should ensure that business continuity and contingency plans account for the unstable power supply and should consider the availability of a back-up electricity supply where possible.