Cuba’s power grid company said it had restored power to parts of the capital Havana on Monday following the fourth grid outage in 48 hours, while Tropical Storm Oscar hit the east of the island.
Strong winds and heavy rain uprooted trees and sent power lines down in places, complicating restoration efforts.
Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy said experts are working carefully to avoid another power outage due to “complex” conditions.
“The last thing we want is, because of a power line down, we have another system down,” said de la O Levy.
Cuban energy officials said they were supplying the grid with about 700 megawatts, or a quarter of a typical day’s demand, by mid-afternoon. Authorities say they have restored power to 56 percent of Havana by late afternoon.
Millions of Cubans are still without electricity, three days after a nationwide power outage. Cuban officials blame the US economic embargo for fuel shortages and metal shortages that could ease the crisis.
Officials said they had restored power to parts of remote provinces on the Caribbean’s largest island.
Cuba’s communist-run government has closed schools and non-essential industries until Wednesday as the operation continues.
Cuba’s national power grid crashed for the first time on Friday, before Oscar’s arrival, after the island’s main power plant shut down, leaving 10 million people without power.
The grid has failed in whole or in part three times since then, underscoring the fragile state of the country’s infrastructure and putting many Cubans on edge, as they already face severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine.
Havana was quiet all night and the whole city was dark. But a Reuters witness saw several scattered protests in poor, outlying areas, with residents banging pots in frustration over power outages and food and water shortages.
President Miguel Diaz-Canel addressed the nation on national television last Sunday, telling Cubans to express their grievances with dignity and respect.
“We will not accept or allow anyone to destroy property and we will not change the peace of our people,” said Diaz-Canel.
Cubans have endured long blackouts of 10 to 20 hours a day across the country for months, with precious food being spoiled and access to fuel and water difficult.
Government and private experts say the grid, which has long been on the verge of collapse, has reached a critical point as old infrastructure is crumbling and fuel is in short supply.
Cuba blames the US trade embargo, as well as sanctions imposed by former US President Donald Trump, for difficulties in obtaining fuel and spare parts to operate and maintain its oil plants.
The US has denied any role in the grid failure.
Cuba’s allies Russia, Mexico and Venezuela have all reduced exports to the island in recent months.
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