Widespread power outage affects all districts in Cyprus

On the morning of Friday, August 21, 2026, a widespread power outage occurred across all six districts of Cyprus shortly before 11:00. The disruption led to a major loss of electricity generation, triggering automatic load shedding in six stages and causing numerous consumer complaints. The Fire Service reported a spike in emergency calls, primarily from Nicosia and Limassol, regarding individuals trapped in elevators, though many were released once power was restored.

Authorities, including the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) and the Transmission System Operator of Cyprus (TSOC), identified the root cause as a technical failure involving a loss of communication between photovoltaic parks and the central distribution control center. This malfunction resulted in inaccurate production data being sent to the grid controllers. While officials initially speculated about generation system faults, spokesperson Chara Kousiappa later confirmed the communication error was the primary trigger.

Power has been gradually restored to most areas, and the system is operating under alternative arrangements. Although the immediate blackout has ended, the underlying technical problem is still under investigation. Repair crews remain on high alert to prevent further disruptions, and authorities have indicated that the power supply is expected to remain stable throughout the evening despite the ongoing technical troubleshooting.