There was a widespread power failure in Paris last night. According to the network operator RTE, 125,000 households in the third, fourth and fifth arrondissement of the French capital were temporarily without electricity. The reason for the failure was a breakdown in a transformer.

On social networks, residents shared pictures of entire streets that were in the dark. As France gears up for potential power cuts during a harsh winter, Central Paris Mayor Ariel Weil joked he didn't expect the power to go out so quickly.

The power failure occurred on the eve of an exercise by the French authorities, in which the temporary and regionally limited shutdown of the power supply in a region is to be simulated today. Because numerous French nuclear power plants are currently being maintained, supply bottlenecks are expected in January. The government has therefore started preparations for local power cuts at peak loads. This is to prevent an uncontrolled blackout.

Today, processes for a shutdown are to be simulated without a shutdown actually taking place on the day. If the measure becomes necessary, it should be announced one day in advance.