In Tunisia long power outages across the country have added to the strain of an intense heatwave, with temperatures as high as 49C, leaving many fearing for their livelihoods.
For days, the STEG state electricity and gas company has been issuing daily heat alerts listing neighbourhoods where it would cut electricity to reduce pressure on the national grid.
STEG Chief Executive Faycel Trifa said heavy air conditioner use had pushed the electricity network to its limit.
Another company official told state television that electricity demand may have reached a record six gigawatts on Tuesday, after hitting 5.6 gigawatts only days earlier.
Power and water cuts have affected parts of Tunisia in previous summers, but this year's outages have spread across much of the country.
