Meeting electricity demands will be tough and power cuts started at 6.41pm, the Transmission System Operator said on Tuesday.

It said power cuts were necessary to maintain the safe operation of the electricity grid and will not be longer than 30 minutes for each group of consumers.

The TSO urged consumers to limit the use of electricity during these times to help alleviate strain on the system.

It assured the public it was doing everything to manage the situation in the most effective way possible and said that, although it understood the inconvenience power cuts may cause, the priority remained the safe and reliable operation of the grid.