Cyclone leaves 659 settlements without power in Belarus

Cyclone Priska has disrupted power supplies in 659 settlements across Belarus, the country’s Energy Ministry said on its Telegram channel.

The ministry noted that winds with gusts of up to 27 meters per second are still blowing in some regions, causing new power outages. The situation is most severe in the Minsk, Vitebsk and Grodno regions.

“The main cause of the damage is trees and branches falling onto power lines,” the ministry said.

As of 7 p.m. on August 22, 1,876 transformer substations, 179 10-kV power lines, 12 35-kV lines and seven 110-kV lines were out of service.

A total of 315 emergency repair crews and 427 pieces of equipment have been deployed on an intensified basis to eliminate the consequences of the severe weather.

By Jeyhun Aghazada